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The  Non-Sense  of 
Christian  Science 


The  Non-Sense  of 
Christian  Science 


By 
ALBERT  CLARKE  WYCKOFF 

Author  of  *'The  Science  of  Prayer  " 


New  York  Chicago 

Fleming   H.   Revell    Company 

London  and  Edinburgh 


Copyright,  1921,  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  17  North  Wabash  Ave. 
London :  2 1  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh:       75     Princes     Street 


Contents 


Introduction 

7 

I. 

Non-Sense  Science       .        . 

II 

II. 

Non-Sense  Science  and  the  Bible 

38 

III. 

Non-Sense  Christianity 

67 

IV. 

Non-Sense  Healing     .... 

109 

V. 

Non-Sense  Revelations 

152 

VI. 

Where  Non-Sense  Ceases  and  Sense 
Begins 

199 

VII. 

The  Psychology  of  Its  Appeal    . 

246 

Introduction 

THE  time  has  arrived  when  no  longer  can 
.  the  Church  afford  to  content  itself  by  dis^ 
missing  Christian  Science  with  a  depreci- 
ating remark  or  joke.  It  has  thrived  too  well 
upon  this  treatment.  And  this  is  not  at  all  sur- 
prising, for  the  average  stock  criticism  of  Christian 
Science  which  passes  current  in  religious  circles, 
such  as,  that  it  does  not  believe  in  sin,  sickness,  pain 
or  death,  is  based  upon  a  complete  misunderstand- 
ing of  its  fundamental  teaching  upon  these  sub- 
jects, and  is  easily  met  and  explained  away  by  any 
of  its  adherents.  Nothing  short  of  a  comprehen- 
sive, accurate,  intelligent  knowledge  of  what 
Christian  Science  teaches,  and  a  clear,  reasonable, 
fair,  and  justifiable  ground  for  objection  to  its 
fundamental  principles,  can  ever  cope  with  its 
ceaseless,  shrewd,  persistent  propaganda. 

There  seems  to  be  no  insurmountable  obstacle  in 
the  way  of  obtaining  just  this  very  knowledge. 
Christian  Science  has  but  one,  standard,  author- 
ized text-book — Science  and  Health.  No  appeal 
can  be  made  from  its  teaching,  for  it  is  unerring 
and  final  in  its  authority.  If  from  this  book  Mrs. 
Eddy's  fimdamental  teaching  is  secured  it  cannot 

7 


8    THE  NONSENSE  OP  OHEISTI  AN  SCIENCE 

be  gainsaid.  To  this  book  we  will  confine  this 
part  of  our  study.  Other  references  are  but 
confirmatory. 

It  is  no  easy  matter  to  ferret  out  the  real  teach- 
ing of  Science  and  Health.  This  is  not  because  it 
is  deep,  but  because  it  is  intellectually  tricky.  One 
reason  lies  in  the  fact  that  it  is  written  in  a  lan- 
guage all  its  own.  The  words  look  like  familiar 
words,  but  their  meaning  has  been  arbitrarily 
changed  to  suit  Mrs.  Eddy's  fancy.  For  this  rea- 
son it  is  practically  impossible  to  understand  what 
is  written  unless  one  is  perfectly  familiar  with  this 
new  language.  By  this  trick  its  real  teaching  is  so 
superbly  camouflaged  that  even  to-day  the  great 
majority  of  its  followers  have  not  the  faintest  idea 
as  to  the  real  character  of  its  fundamental  teach- 
ing. From  beginning  to  end  there  runs  through 
it  a  purposeful  ambiguity  in  the  use  of  all  the 
great  key  words  of  religion,  so  that  the  first  im- 
pression one  always  receives  is  of  being  in  per- 
fectly familiar  religious  territory.  All  the  old 
words  and  phrases  are  used ;  the  Bible  is  declared 
to  be  its  only  authority,  God  the  only  helper,  and 
Christ  the  only  Saviour  of  humanity.  What  more 
can  one  ask  to  guarantee  its  genuine  Christian 
character  ? 

Not  only  this,  but  great  care  is  always  taken  to 
see  that  its  real  distinctive  teaching  never  stands 
out  in  too  conspicuous  contrast.  If  in  one  edition 
this  has  inadvertently  happened,  the  next  edition 


INTEODUCTION  9 

of  Science  and  Health  will  be  found  to  have 
remedied  the  defect,  by  skillfully  camouflaging  the 
offensive  point  so  that  it,  like  all  the  others,  shades 
off  imperceptibly  into  the  local  colour  and  tints  of 
the  surrounding  religious  environment  and  atmos- 
phere. In  all  propaganda  literature,  in  all  the 
lectures  delivered  to  the  general  public,  and  in  the 
conversations  of  personal  proselyters  this  camou- 
flaging is  most  noticeable.  For  here  the  real  teach- 
ing of  Christian  Science  is  disguised  and  stretched 
to  its  highest  attenuation.  As  the  result  of  all  this, 
to  the  untrained  eye  Christian  Science  can  hardly 
be  detected  from  genuine  Christianity.  The  whole 
scheme,  to  one  who  sees  through  it,  is  "  charming 
in  its  adroitness.'' 

The  purpose  of  this  study  is  to  remove,  for  its 
readers,  this  camouflage,  and  to  present  Christian 
Science  teaching,  stripped  of  all  its  disguises,  in  its 
naked  character.  When  this  has  been  done  it  takes 
on  a  very  different  aspect.  Every  effort  has  been 
made  to  be  scrupulously  exact  in  the  presentation 
of  this  fundamental  teaching.  For  misrepresenta- 
tion is  unnecessary,  and  exaggeration  is  impossible. 
It  is  beyond  the  capacity  of  the  human  mind  to  add 
anything  along  either  line  that  can  improve  upon 
Mrs.  Eddy's  own  statements.  To  the  intelligent 
thinker,  or  the  sincere  Christian  the  simple  state- 
ment of  her  fundamental  teaching  furnishes  the 
most  convincing  and  unanswerable  argument  that 
exists  against  Christian  Science.     When  our  study 


10    THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

has  been  completed,  and  the  material  is  all  in  hand, 
we  will  then  be  in  a  position  to  form  a  just  estimate 
of  Mrs.  Eddy  and  her  system  of  religion. 

Should  the  reader  desire  to  investigate  the  ques- 
tion of  the  Quimby  origin  of  Mrs.  Eddy's  science 
of  mental  healing  beyond  the  limits  of  the  treat- 
ment in  chapter  five,  this  is  now  for  the  first  time 
made  possible  by  the  publication  of  The  Quimby 
Manuscripts  edited  by  Mr.  Horatio  W.  Dresser. 
In  this  book  Mr.  Dresser  presents  to  the  public 
much  interesting  material  which  hitherto  has  been 
accessible  only  in  manuscript. 

To  the  publishers  of  The  Biblical  Review  I  wish 
to  express  my  appreciation  of  their  kindness  in 
permitting  the  republication  of  this  material  in  its 
present  form. 

A.  C.  W. 

Spring  Valley,  N.  Y. 


nr 


NON-SENSE  SCIENCE 

O  describe  Christian  Science  as  non-sense 
_  is  no  reflection  upon  its  character.  On 
-*•  the  contrary,  it  is  but  emphasizing  its 
chief  point  of  merit.  For  Mrs.  Eddy  proudly 
boasts  that  the  structure  of  her  whole  philosophical 
and  scientific  system  rests  upon  this  one  distin- 
guishing feature.  The  real  question  at  issue 
between  Christian  Science  and  all  other  science, 
when  reduced  to  its  lowest  elements,  is  nothing  less 
than  balancing  over  against  each  other  the  respect- 
ive claims  of  sense  versus  non-sense  perception  as 
the  most  reliable  interpreter  of  the  nature  and 
order  of  the  universe.  Mrs.  Eddy  takes  her  stand 
unequivocally  upon  the  side  of  non-sense  percep- 
tion, and  therefore  rejects  in  toto  all  sense  knowl- 
edge as  false  and  erroneous.  There  need  be  no 
doubt  or  confusion  upon  this  fundamental  point, 
for  she  reiterates  it  over  and  over  again.  Here 
are  a  few  instances: 

The  five  physical  senses  are  the  avenues  and  instru- 
ments of  human  error  [p.  293f.]/ 

*A11  references,  not  otherwise  indicated,  are  to  the  1918 
edition  of  "  Science  and  Health." 

II 


12    THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

Corporeal  sense  defrauds  and  lies ;  it  breaks  all  the 
commands  of  the  Mosaic  Decalogue  to  meet  its  own 
demands  [p.  489] . 

Divine  Science  reverses  the  false  testimony  of  the 
material  senses,  and  thus  tears  away  the  foundations 
of  error.  Hence  the  enmity  between  Science  and 
the  senses  [p.  273]. 

The  question  is  sometimes  asked:  How  can  in- 
telligent people  become  Christian  Scientists?  The 
answer  is  here  given  by  Mrs.  Eddy; 

Relinquish  all  theories  based  upon  sense  testimony 
[p.  249]. 

This  furnishes  the  one  and  only  condition  upon 
which  any  one,  intelligent  or  otherwise,  can  become 
a  Christian  Scientist.  At  first  sight  one  does  not 
realize  the  full  sweep  of  this  demand.  But  a  little 
study  of  Science  and  Health  makes  it  very  plain. 
The  sum  of  all  that  great  fund  of  human  knowl- 
edge which,  down  through  the  long  centuries,  man 
has  laboriously  amassed  is  included  in  this  re- 
pudiation. For  all  of  this  knowledge  is  the  prod- 
uct of  mortal  mind  and  sense  perception.  Both 
of  which  are  the  supreme  sources  of  error. 

While  this  radical  demand  does  not  appear  on 
the  surface,  it  is  everywhere  present  and  imperious. 
Mrs.  Eddy  presents  it  in  these  unmistakable  terms: 

We  cannot  serve  two  masters  nor  perceive  divine 
Science  with  the  material  senses  [p.  167]. 

We  cannot  obey  both  physiology  and  Spirit,  for  the 
one  absolutely  destroys  the  other,  and  the  one  or  the 


NON-SENSE  SCIENCE  13 

other  must  be  supreme  in  our  affections.    It  is  im- 
possible to  work  from  two  standpoints  [p.  182]. 

In  another  place  she  says: 

Material  hypotheses  challenge  metaphysics  to  meet 
in  final  combat.  In  this  revolutionary  period,  like  the 
shepherd  boy  with  his  sling,  woman  goes  forth  to 
battle  with  Goliath  [p.  268]. 

From  the  above  quotations  it  is  very  clear  that 
Mrs.  Eddy  regards  this  particular  point  as  the 
most  fundamental  in  her  system.  Everything  that 
follows  hinges  upon  its  acceptance.  No  term  in 
the  English  language,  therefore,  quite  so  fittingly 
describes  her  science  as  non-sense.  This  word 
alone  partakes  of  the  very  essence  of  its  nature. 
The  consistent  adoption  of  this  term  will  do  much 
to  help  clear  up  wide-spread  misunderstanding  con- 
cerning the  whole  subject. 

Browsing  Around  in  the  Non-Sense  World  of 
Christian  Science.  Before  plunging  into  the  prob- 
lems presented  by  Christian  Science,  it  may  be  well 
to  browse  around  a  little  in  this  new  world  which 
Mrs.  Eddy's  non-sense  science  has  built  up  for  the 
setting  of  her  system.  Those  who  have  always  lived 
in  a  sense  world  will  find  the  experience  novel  and 
interesting.  A  non-sense  world  is  exclusively  a 
non-sense  thought  world.  Even  the  thoughts  which 
make  up  its  whole  reality  differ  radically  from  all 
other  rational  thoughts.  All  reason  and  knowledge 
having  been  arbitrarily  discarded,  the  imagination  is 
given  free  range  so  that  thinking  naturally  becomes 


U   THE  NONSENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

purely  fantastic.  This  being  the  nature  of  the 
Christian  Science  world  we  are  about  to  enter,  two 
demands  will  be  made  of  us:  first,  one  must  acquire 
the  habit  of  seeing  thoughts;  second,  one  must 
never  expect  to  find  things  reasonable  or  sen- 
sible. Mrs.  Eddy  explains  this  first  new  demand 
in  these  words: 

Mortals  evolve  images  of  thought.  These  may 
appear  to  the  ignorant  to  be  apparitions ;  but  they  are 
mysterious  only  because  it  is  unusual  to  see  thoughts, 
though  we  can  always  feel  their  influence.  *  *  * 
Seeing  is  no  less  a  quality  of  physical  sense  than  feel- 
ing. Then  why  is  it  more  difficult  to  see  a  thought 
than  to  feel  one?  Education  alone  determines  the 
difference.     In  reality  there  is  none  [p.  86]. 

When  one  understands  that  the  thoughts  which 
one  sees  in  a  non-sense  world  are  nothing  more  or 
less  than  the  things  of  the  sense  world,  houses, 
lands,  men,  women,  and  all  that  goes  to  make  up 
this  material  universe,  seeing  thoughts  is  not  such 
a  mysterious  faculty  as  at  first  it  might  have 
seemed.  The  simple  trick  by  which  this  material 
world  is  transformed  into  a  non-sense  world  is  per- 
formed by  the  consistent  practice  of  calling  things 
thoughts.     Mrs.  Eddy  puts  it  in  these  words: 

Metaphysics  resolves  things  into  thoughts,  and  ex- 
changes the  objects  of  sense  for  the  ideas  of  Soul 
[p.  269]. 

Shakespeare  put  it  thus:  "  What's  in  a  name?  that 
which  we  call  a  rose  by  any  other  name  would  smell 


NON-SENSE  SCIENCE  16 

as  sweet."  So  also  the  things  which  in  non-sense 
science  are  resolved  into  thoughts  still  remain  the 
same. 

When,  however,  we  pass  from  the  new  ex- 
perience of  seeing  thoughts  to  that  of  reasoning  in 
a  non-sense  world  we  are  face  to  face  with  a  very 
different  problem.  For  in  reasoning  the  correct 
and  stable  meaning  of  the  words  used  is  the  funda- 
mental requirement  upon  which  the  validity  of  the 
whole  process  rests.  Now  in  a  non-sense  world,' 
non-sense  language  is  the  only  vehicle  of  expres- 
sion. And  non-sense  language  is  a  language  out 
of  whose  words  the  natural  sense  meaning  has  been 
taken,  so  that  they  become  chameleon-like  and 
change  their  meaning  to  suit  any  occasion.  Just 
to  familiarize  ourselves  a  little  with  this  language 
and  its  processes  of  reasoning  let  us  think  through 
a  few  characteristic  statements.     Here  is  one: 

The  history  of  error  is  a  dream  narrative.  The 
dream  has  no  reality,  no  intelligence,  no  mind ;  there- 
fore the  dreamer  and  the  dream  are  one,  for  neither 
IS  true  nor  real  [p.  530]. 

To  a  mortal  just  fresh  from  sense-world  think- 
ing it  is  puzzling  to  understand  why  a  dream  should 
be  expected  to  have  reality,  intelligence,  mind,  for 
the  word  dream  simply  means  imaginary  ideas. 
But  that  is  not  as  puzzling  as  to  figure  out  how  it 
is  possible  to  have  either  a  dream  or  a  dreamer 
when  neither  the  dream  nor  the  dreamer  are  true  or 
real.     Also  one  is  a  little  surprised  to  find  Mrs. 


16  THE  NON-SENSE  OP  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

I  Eddy  defining  matter  as  "  sensation  in  the  sensa- 
i  tionless  "  (p.  691).     One  wonders  how  there  can 
I   be  sensation  in  the  sensationless,  when  sensation- 
less  simply  means  that  in  which  there  is  no  sensa- 
j  tion?  Thinking  in  a  non-sense  world,  through  the 
instrument  of  non-sense  language,  is  one  of  the 
processes  to  which   the  student  of   Science  and 
Health  has  to  become  accustomed. 

Non-sense  science  is  particularly  proud  of  its - 

logic.     Of  this  Mrs.  Eddy  says: 

In  Christian  Science  there  are  no  discords  nor 
contradictions,  because  its  logic  is  as  harmonious  as 
the  reasoning  of  an  accurately  stated  syllogism  or 
of  a  properly  computed  sum  in  arithmetic.  Truth  is 
ever  truthful,  and  can  tolerate  no  error  in  premise  or 
conclusion  [p.  129]. 

Here  are  a  few  samples  of  this  logic: 

The  divine  metaphysics  of  Christian  Science,  like 
the  method  in  mathematics,  proves  the  rule  by  inver- 
sion. For  example:  There  is  no  pain  in  Truth,  and 
no  truth  in  pain ;  no  nerve  in  Mind,  and  no  mind  in 
nerve ;  no  matter  in  Mind,  and  no  mind  in  matter ;  no 
matter  in  Life,  and  no  life  in  matter;  no  matter  in 
good,  and  no  good  in  matter  [p.  113]. 

Such  logic  IS  irresistible.     It  might  be  continued 

1    indefinitely  as  follows:     There  is  no  ice  in  water, 

\   and  no  water  in  ice ;  no  rainbow  in  beauty,  and  no 

beauty  in  a  rainbow;  no  Science  and  Health  in 

Truth,  and  no  truth  in  Science  and  Health;  no 

Mrs.  Eddy  in  Honesty,  and  no  honesty  in  Mrs. 


NON-SENSE  SCIENCE  17 

Eddy ;  no  Christian  Science  in  Good,  and  no  good 
in  Chri^ian  Science.  This  is  the  type  of  logic  of 
which  it  is  said,  "  Truth  is  ever  truthful,  and  can 
tolerate  no  error  in  premise  or  conclusion."  We 
will  know  more  of  it  soon. 

It  is  because  this  is  the  kind  of  reasoning  which 
prevails  in  a  non-sense  science  book  that  Mrs. 
Eddy  is  able  to  maintain  that  there  are  no  contra- 
dictions in  Science  and  Health.  This  is  her  asser- 
tion: 

It  is  sometimes  said,  in  criticising  Christian  Science, 
that  the  mind  which  contradicts  itself  neither  knows 
itself  nor  what  it  is  saying.  It  is  indeed  no  small 
matter  to  know  one's  self;  but  in  this  volume  of  mine 
there  are  no  contradictory  statements  [p.  345]. 

So  confident  is  she  of  this  fact  that  she  unhesi- 
tatingly stakes  the  fate  of  every  statement  in  the 
book  upon  the  discovery  of  one  single  error.  This 
challenge  she  puts  into  these  words: 

If  one  of  the  statements  in  this  book  is  true,  erery 
one  must  be  true,  for  not  one  departs  from  the  stated 
system  and  rule  [p.  547]. 

We  have  just  learned  that  "The  divine  meta- 
physics of  Christian  Science  *  *  *  proves 
the  rule  by  inversion,"  therefore  it  is  perfectly 
willing  to  prove  the  above  statement  by  inversion. 
So  that  if  one  statement  in  Science  and  Health  is 
found  to  be  untrue,  every  one  must  be  untrue,  "  for 
not  one  departs  from  the  stated  system  and  rule." 
In  the  progress  of  our  study  we  will  have  abundant 


18    THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

opportunity  to  test  some  of  these  statements,  and 
leave  the  reader  to  draw  necessary  conclusions. 

We  are  now  prepared  to  make  our  entrance  into 
the  real  world  of  non-sense  science.  To  fulfill  the 
conditions  necessary  to  effect  this  transition  one  has 
but  to  follow  the  simple  directions  given  by  Mrs. 
Eddy,  and  the  intoxicating  bliss  of  feeling  one's 
self  gradually  floating  away  into  the  realm  of 
"  fetterless  mind  "  will  be  experienced.  Here  is  a 
simple  experiment  any  one  can  try; 

Close  your  eyes,  and  you  may  dream  that  you  see 
a  flower, — that  you  touch  and  smell  it.  Thus  you 
learn  that  the  flower  is  a  product  of  the  so-called 
mind,  a  formation  of  thought  rather  than  of  matter. 
Close  your  eyes  again,  and  you  may  see  landscapes, 
men,  and  women.  Thus  you  learn  that  these  also  are 
images,  which  mortal  mind  holds  and  evolves  and 
which  stimulate  mind,  life,  and  intelligence  [p.  71]. 

Now  if  one  should  happen  to  apply  a  little  sense 
knowledge  and  psychology  to  this  very  same  ex- 
periment it  would  become  quickly  apparent  that 
there  is  a  radical  difference  between  the  dream 
flower,  landscapes,  men,  and  women,  and  those 
with  which  one  comes  In  contact  in  the  hours  of 
waking  consciousness.  And  no  possible  conjuring 
can  change  the  one  into  the  likeness  of  the  other. 
Just  a  little  knowledge  of  dream  psychology  would 
have  saved  Mrs.  Eddy  from  making  such  a  blunder. 

Lower  Forms  of  Life  as  Thoughts.  As  might 
be    expected    in    a    non-sense    world,    where    all 


NON-SENSE  SCIENCE  19 

"  things  "  are  called  "  thoughts,"  the  products  of 
the  animal,  mineral,  and  vegetable  kingdoms  are 
also  called  "  the  products  of  the  so-called  mind," 
the  ''  formations  of  thought  rather  than  matter." 
This  is  the  way  in  which  Mrs.  Eddy  puts  this  idea: 

Minerals  and  vegetables  are  found,  according  to 
divine  Science  to  be  the  creations  of  erroneous 
thought,  not  of  matter  [p.  543]- 

It  is  a  self-evident  error  to  suppose  that  there  can 
be  such  a  reality  as  organic  animal  or  vegetable  life, 
when  such  so-called  life  always  ends  in  death   [p. 

309]- 

The  plant  grows,  not  because  of  seed  or  soil,  but 

because  growth  is  the  eternal  mandate  of  Mind. 
Mortal  thought  drops  into  the  ground,  but  the  im- 
mortal creating  thought  is  from  above,  not  from 
beneath.  Because  Mind  makes  all,  there  is  nothing 
left  to  be  made  by  a  lower  power  [p.  520]. 

This  may  all  be  true,  but  in  actual  experience 
Christian  Scientist  farmers  and  gardeners  give  as 
much  attention  to  seed  and  soil  as  though  there 
were  still  something  "  left  to  be  made  by  a  lower 
power,"  and  the  ''  mortal  thoughts  "  which  they 
drop  into  the  ground  are  as  carefully  selected 
from  seed  catalogues  as  though  they  had  some 
essential  contribution  to  make  to  the  success  of 
planting, 

?^€-Z^?iA"&?I>^£^j^^*2:.  If  ^^^  knows  nothing 
about  the  type  of  animals  that  exist  in  a  non-sense 
world,  It  will  be  interesting  to  drop  into  the  zoo  and 
take  a  look  at  some  of  them.     Here  again  it  must 


20   THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

be  kept  constantly  in  mind  that  one  is  not  in  reality- 
seeing  animals  but  only  metaphorically  represented 
thoughts.  For  our  guidance  Mrs.  Eddy  makes  this 
explanation : 

To  mortal  mind,  the  universe  is  liquid,  solid,  aeri- 
form. Spiritually  interpreted,  rocks  and  mountains 
stand  for  solid  and  grand  ideas.  Animals  and  mor- 
tals metaphorically  present  the  gradation  of  mortal 
thought,  rising  in  the  scale  of  intelligence,  taking 
form  in  masculine,  feminine,  or  neuter  gender   [p. 

511]. 

Let  us  wander  about  through  the  park  and  look 
at  some  of  the  different  varieties  of  the  gradations 
of  mortal  thought  which  are  metaphorically  pre- 
sented to  us  by  the  animals  mentioned  in  the  crea- 
tion story  of  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis.  Their 
identities  within  the  realm  of  thought  and  ideas 
are  thus  given  by  Mrs.  Eddy: 

The  fowls,  which  fly  above  the  earth  in  the  open 
firmament  of  heaven,  correspond  to  aspirations  soar- 
ing beyond  and  above  corporeality  to  the  understand-* 
ing  of  the  incorporeal  and  divine  Principle,  Love 
[p.  5iif.]. 

The  great  whales  symbolize  spirit  as  "  strength, 
presence,  and  power"  (p.  512). 

The  beasts  of  the  earth  symbolize  "  Mind's  in- 
finite ideas  "  which  "  run  and  disport  themselves  " 
like  wild  beasts.  "  In  humility  they  climb  the 
heights  of  holiness  "  (p.  514). 

The  lion,  "  king  of  the  mental  realm,"  is  "  moral 


KOK-SENSE  SCIENCE  21 

courage,"  "  Free  and  fearless  it  roams  in  the 
forest  Undisturbed  it  lies  down  in  the  open  field, 
or  rests  in  'green  pastures,  beside  the  still  waters'" 
(p.  614).  Here  again  that  irrepressible  sense- 
knowledge  cannot  help  wonder  why  the  habits  of 
the  lion,  ''  king  of  the  mental  realm,"  are  so  un- 
like the  lion,  king  of  the  beasts  of  the  jungle.  For 
the  lion,  king  of  the  beasts  of  the  jungle,  is  not  in 
the  habit  of  lying  down  in  the  open  field,  or  rest- 
ing in  **  green  pastures,  beside  the  still  waters." 
In  fact  green  pastures  do  not  present  the  allur- 
ing appeal  to  the  lion  which  they  do  to  sheep.  For 
the  lion  does  not  eat  grass.  But  in  the  non-sense 
world  pastoral  poems  and  jungle  books  all  look 
alike. 

"  The  cattle  upon  a  thousand  hills  "  "  are  likened 
to "  "  diligence,  promptness,  and  perseverance." 
"  They  carry  the  baggage  of  stern  resolve,  and 
keep  pace  with  highest  purpose  "  (p.  514). 

"  The  tireless  worm "  symbolizes  "  patience 
*  *  *  creeping  over  lofty  summits,  persever- 
ing in  its  intent  "  (p.  515). 

The  §erpent  of  God's  creating  is  neither  subtle 
nor  poisonous,  but  is  a  wise  idea,  charming  in  its 
adroitness  [p.  515]. 

It  Is  well  enough  to  know  that  one  need  have  no 
shuddering  fear  of  these  thought  animals,  for  they 
are  not  treacherors  prowlers,  lurking  in  invisible 
ambush  unexpectedly  to  spring  out  upon  one. 
They  are  the  kind  of  thoughts  and  Ideas  that  can 


22    THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

always  be  plainly  seen.  And  even  though  this 
were  not  true,  we  are  assured  that  all  the  animals 
in  the  non-sense  world  are  harmless  because  they 
are  controlled  by  Love. 

The  forces  of  Nature  in  a  Non-Sense  World, 
Now  that  we  have  started  upon  this  subject  it 
may  as  well  be  followed  to  the  end.  Step  by  step 
we  have  been  descending.  Rocks  and  mountains 
are  "  grand  and  solid  ideas,"  "  animals  and  mor- 
tals "  are  '*  gradations  of  mortal  thought,"  "min- 
erals and  vegetables  "  are  "  the  creations  of  errone- 
ous thought,"  seeds  are  ''  mortal  thoughts  dropped 
into  the  ground,"  so  that,  as  we  come  to  study  the 
invisible  and  spiritual  forces  of  nature,  we  are  not 
surprised  to  learn  that  they  are  the  "  counterfeits 
of  spiritual  forces."     Of  these  Mrs.  Eddy  says: 

The  material  so-called  gases  and  forces  of  nature 
are  counterfeits  of  the  spiritual  forces  of  divine  Mind 
[p.  293]. 

Yet  it  is  upon  these  counterfeits,  and  not  the  real 
spiritual  forces,  that  even  Christian  Scientists  rely 
for  light,  heat,  and  power. 

When  it  comes  to  the  destructive  forces  of  na- 
ture we  learn  that  in  the  non-sense  world  they  lose 
all  of  their  power  to  harm.  Upon  this  point  Mrs. 
Eddy  says: 

There  is  no  vapid  fury  of  mortal  mind — expressed 
in  earthquake,  wind,  wave,  lightning,  fire,  beastial 
ferocity.  *  *  *  Christian  Science  brings  to  light 
Truth  and  its  supremacy,  universal  harmony,  the  en- 


NON-SENSE  SCIENCE  23^ 

tireness  of  God,  good,  and  the  nothingness  of  evil 
[p.  293]. 

Inasmuch  as  these  "counterfeits  of  the  spiritual 
forces  of  divine  mind  "  are  impostors,  and  can  be 
overpowered  at  any  time  by  the  real  spiritual  force 
of  a  non-sense  mind,  it  is  a  calamity  beyond  com- 
putation that  Christian  Science  did  not  "  bring  to 
light  Truth  *  *  *  ^m^  the  nothingness  of  evil  " 
before  that  "  nothingness "  was  allowed  to  rage 
for  centuries,  through  the  highways  of  civiliza- 
tion, in  its  unsubdued  destructive  ferocity  of 
earthquake,  wind,  wave,  lightning,  and  fire.  With 
regard  tq^electricity  she  says: 

According  to  human  belief,  the  lightning  is  fierce 
and  the  electric  current  swift,  yet  in  Christian  Sci- 
ence the  flight  of  one  and  the  blow  of  the  other  will  i 
become  harmless  [p.  97].  \ 

Up  to  the  present  time  no  Christian  Scientist  has 
been  ready  to  demonstrate  the  truth  of  this  state- 
ment. With  regard  to  the  earthquake  the  author 
of  a  recent  book  in  refutation  of  Christian  Science, 
entitled  The  Real  Key  to  Christian  Science,  gives 
the  following  conversation : 

I  asked  a  Christian  Scientist  if  he  thought  earth- 
quakes could  be  prevented.  "  Certainly,"  he  said,  "  I 
believe  that  if  a  few  good  Christian  Scientists  in  San 
Francisco  had  been  demonstrating  before  the  disaster, 
it  would  never  have  happened."  If  he  lived  in  a  sec- 
tion where  earthquakes  were  common  he  "  would 
most  certainly  try  to  demonstrate  "  and  he  believed 
"with  perfect  success"  (p.  iif.). 


24   THE  NONSENSE  OP  OHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

To  one  who  lives  in  a  sense  world  such  a  state- 
ment seems  beyond  belief.  But  here  is  a  recent 
one  just  as  amazing.  It  is  found  in  the  issue  of 
the  Christian  Science  Sentinel  of  December  21, 
1918,  in  an  article  entitled  War  Relief  Work  in 
France.  In  speaking  of  a  group  of  ten  Christian 
Science  workers  it  says: 

During  weeks  of  air  raids  and  long  range  bombard- 
ment they  turned  to  their  books  in  order  to  gain  a 
higher  understanding  of  God  and  man's  relationship 
to  Him  as  an  indestructible  idea.  They  recognized 
that  health,  harmony,  and  protection  are  normal  and 
natural  states  of  being,  and  that  in  the  benign  govern- 
ment of  infinite  Truth  and  Love  there  is  adequate 
health,  peace,  and  protection  for  all.  During  the  last 
air  raid  which  took  place  in  one  locality,  several  war 
workers  stationed  there  rejoiced  because  of  the  heal- 
ing messages  which  always  reach  man  through  God's 
direct  means  of  communication,  angels.  [It  may  be 
well  to  remember  that  angels  are  "  God's  thoughts 
passing  to  man."]  *  *  *  'p^g  rejoicing  over  this 
spiritual  fact  on  that  particular  night  healed  or  re- 
lieved the  city,  wherein  these  war  workers  were  sta- 
tioned, from  fear  of  future  bombardment  and  de- 
struction. This  experience  reminds  one  of  the  songs 
that  Paul  and  Silas  sang  effectively  in  prison  during 
the  watches  of  the  night  when  the  damp  pestilential 
cells  of  the  Philippian  dungeon  were  opened  and  the 
prisoners  set  free. 

No  doubt  there  were  thousands  of  other  people  in 
that  city  that  night  just  simply  praying  in  the  old- 
fashioned  way,  as  Paul  and  Silas  did,  who  attributed 
the  cessation  of  bombardment  to  the  efficacy  of 


NON-SENSE  SCIENCE  26 

their  prayers.     And  no  doubt  those  soldiers  who 
that  night  forced  back  the  enemy  and  kept  their  air 
men  so  occupied  in  other  places,  laid  the  cessation 
of  bombardment  to  the  efficacy  of  their  heroic 
work.     It  seems  hardly  fair  for  the  few  Christian  [ 
Scientists  who  happened  to  be  located  in  that  city; 
to  take  all  the  credit  and  glory  to  themselves.     The  '• 
writer  was  upon  five  of  the  battle  fronts  of  France  \ 
during  the  big  fights,  and  he  could  not  help  notic- 
ing  that  the  Christian   Scientists  present  during  ; 
bombardment  turned  not  to  their  books  but  to  the 
dugouts  just  like  every  one  else. 

As  might  be  expected  in  a  world  where  there  are 
only  thoughts,  thought  must  fulfill  all  the  functions 
of  transportation  which  in  the  sense  world  our 
expensive  devices  bunglingly  try  to  perform.  The 
system  works,  according  to  Mrs.  Eddy,  after  this 
fashion: 

In  dreams  we  fly  to  Europe  and  meet  a  far-off 
friend.  The  looker-on  sees  the  body  in  bed,  but  the 
supposed  inhabitant  of  that  body  carries  it  through 
the  air  and  over  the  ocean.  This  shows  the  possibili- 
ties of  thought  [p.  90] . 

Divest  yourself  of  the  thought  that  there  can  be 
substance  in  matter,  and  the  movements  and  tran- 
sitions now  possible  for  mortal  mind  will  be  found 
to  be  equally  possible  for  the  body  [p.  90]. 

This  seems  a  simple  way  in  which  to  solve  the 
perplexing  trafKic  problems  of  large  cities  and  the 
country.  But  it  will  only  operate  in  a  non-sense 
world.     The  number  of  automobiles  standing  be- 


26    THE  NON  SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

fore  the  "  Mother  Church"  during  service,  and  the 
slavish  dependence  of  Mrs.  Eddy  herself  upon  her 
coach,  bear  sad  testimony  to  the  fact  that  no 
Christian  Scientists  have  as  yet  been  able  suffi- 
ciently to  "  divest "  the  mind  "  of  the  thought  that 
there  can  be  substance  in  matter  "  to  demonstrate 
the  incomparably  superior  advantages  of  thought 
transportation.  The  tyranny  of  mortal  mind 
seems  to  be  so  much  more  powerful  than  the  om- 
nipotence of  non-sense  mind. 

A  Sketch  of  the  Real  World  of  Christian  Science. 
We  are  now  in  position  to  report  upon  the  make- 
up of  the  Christian  Science  world.  The  first  thing 
which  impresses  us  is  the  noticeable  lack  of  those 
features  which  customarily  make  a  real  world. 
Negatively  the  world  of  Christian  Science  con- 
tains: 

1.  No  material  universe — no  heavens,  no  earth, 
no  matter,  no  animals. 

2.  No  humanity — no  spirits,  no  souls,  no  per- 
sons, no  marriage,  no  births,  no  sin,  no  sickness,  no 
death. 

The  emptiness  of  this  world  bears  a  striking 
likeness  to  the  condition  of  the  world  before  God's 
first  creative  act,  recorded  in  Genesis.  Everything 
is  without  form  and  void.  This  fact  consistently 
bears  out  Mrs.  Eddy's  contention  that  God  never 
did  create  a  material  universe  and  the  first  chapter 
of  Genesis,  when  correctly  interpreted,  does  not  so 
state. 


NON-SENSE  SCIENCE  27 

Positively,  the  world  of  Christian  Science  con- 
tains: 

1.  Divine  Mind. 

2.  Idea. 

3.  Heaven. 

Concerning  this  Mrs.  Eddy  says: 

Christian  Science  reveals,  incontrovertibly,  that 
Mind  is  All-in-all,  that  the  only  realities  are  divine 
Mind  and  idea  [p.  109]. 

The  only  fruition  that  has  been  brought  forth 
by  this  Divine  Mind  and  its  idea  during  the  long 
centuries  has  been  "  man,"  "  God's  spiritual  idea, 
individual,  perfect,  eternal"  (p.  115).  The 
Heaven  of  Christian  Science  is  harmony.  In  a 
world  where  nothing  exists  but  one  mind  and  one 
idea  it  is  not  difficult  to  see  how  such  a  Heaven 
can  exist.  For  where  there  is  nothing  but  one 
mind  and  one  idea  in  existence  there  is  nothing  in 
the  world  to  disturb  the  serenity  of  this  one  mind 
in  the  enjoyment  of  its  one  idea. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  however,  this  statement 
brings  us  face  to  face  with; one  of  the  most  sur- 
prising features  of  this  non"^nse  world.  For  it 
turns  out  that  "  nothing  "  is  what  makes  all  of  its 
trouble.  Right  at  the  heart  of  this  non-sense 
world  is  to  be  found  this  vulture  "  nothing  "  gnaw- 
ing at  the  very  vitals  of  its  harmony.  This  vulture 
"  nothing,"  mortal  mind,  is  the  Goliath  with  whom, 
"  like  the  shepherd-boy  with  his  sling,  woman  goes 


28    THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

forth  to  battle."  '.  Perhaps  some  belated  sense- 
thinker  may  be  wondering  how  a  vulture  can  be- 
come a  Goliath,  but  in  a  non-sense  world  where 
birds  are  "  soaring  aspirations,"  and  human  beings 
"  ideas "  the  explanation  is  very  simple.  This 
second  "  nothing  "  world  separates  into  two  con- 
stituent parts : 

1.  Mortal  mind — *'  Nothing  claiming  to  be 
something." 

2.  Matter — "  Nothingness — the  want  of  some- 
thing "— "  evil." 

The  issue  that  comes  from  mortal  mind  and 
matter  is  sin,  sickness,  death.  Sin  is  error — un- 
true; sickness  is  behef — false;  death  is  illusion — 
unreal.  Just  how  such  a  disturbing  "  nothing," 
w^ith  its  brood — evil,  error,  false  belief,  an  illu- 
sion— ever  succeeded  in  gaining  entrance  into  a 
world  where  "  divine  Mind  is  All-in-all,"  is  a  ques- 
tion which  puzzles  one.  Mrs.  Eddy  quickly  sug- 
gests that  they  are  bom  of  delusion.  This  answer 
makes  the  puzzle  still  more  acute;  for,  of  all  things, 
how  can  delusion  ever  find  a  place  in  a  world 
where  Divine  Mind  is  infinite,  omniscient,  and 
"  All-in-all "  ?  This  question  also  Mrs.  Eddy 
answers,  without  any  hesitation,  in  the  following 
way: 

Delusion,  sin,  disease,  and  death  arise  from  the 
false  testimony  of  material  sense,  which,  from  a  sup- 
posed standpoint  outside  of  the  focal  distance  of  in- 
finite Spirit,  presents  an  inverted  image  of  Mind  and 


NON-SENSE  SCIENCE  29 

substance  with  everything  turned  upside  down  [p. 

301]- 

We  have  here  one  of  the  choicest  specimens  of 

non-sense  reasoning.     If  it  does  not  satisfactorily 

explain  away  the  existence  of  a  material  universe, 

sin,  sickness,  and  death,  then  "  nothing  "  ever  can. 

One  naturally  hesitates  to  mar  such  a  v^ork  of 
non-sense  literary  art.  But  irrepressible  sense- 
thinking  still  relentlessly  continues  to  demand: 
Whence  springs  this  guilty  culprit,  *'  sense  knowl- 
edge," which  bears  this  "  false  testimony,"  in  a 
world  from  which  all  sense  knowledge  has  already 
been  rigorously  excluded  and  where  "  divine 
Mind  "  is  "  All-in-all  "  ?  But  even  this  question 
does  not  baffle  Mrs.  Eddy,  for,  by  her  theory,  sense 
knowledge  is  born  of  "  mortal  mind."  Whence 
then  Cometh  "  mortal  mind  "  ?  tantalizingly  persists 
this  sense-thinker.  At  this  question  the  hard- 
pressed  author  of  non-sense  science  leaps  with  the 
joy  of  deliverance,  and  would  say:  Oh,  mortal 
mind  is  "  nothing  claiming  to  be  something,"  so 
it  comes  from  nowhere;  if  it  came  from  some- 
where, or  something,  don't  you  see  it  would  be 
something  instead  of  nothing?  If  this  squirrel 
track  only  ran  up  a  tree  it  would  not  be  so  hard  to 
be  satisfied  with  such  reasoning,  but  there  is  not 
even  a  tree  left  up  which  it  can  run. 

In  sense  philosophy  the  fundamental  proposition 
with  which  all  thinking  begins  is:  Bx  nihilo  nihil 
fit,  "  From  nothing  nothing  comes."    On  the  con- 


30    THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

trary,  in  this  non-sense  world  the  fundamental  pos- 
tulate of  all  its  philosophy  is:  From  "nothing" 
every  ''  thing  "  comes.  But  this  nothing  must  be 
properly  located  before  it  can  give  birth  to  every 
'*  thing.''  The  exact  spot  is  ''  a  supposed  stand- 
point outside  the  focal  distance  of  infinite  Spirit." 
Here  again  sense-thinking  comes  upon  a  problem: 
How  can  there  be  even  a  **  supposed  standpoint 
outside  the  focal  distance  of  infinite  Spirit,"  if  in- 
finite Spirit,  by  its  very  nature,  is  everywhere 
present?  Of  course,  if  such  a  place  can  be  found 
it  is  not  at  all  surprising  that  it  should  present 
"an  inverted  image  of  Mind  *  *  *  with 
everything  turned  upside  down." 

But  all  of  these  questions  are  sense  questions,  and 
unless  one  is  willing  to  enter  this  non-sense  world 
upon  the  conditions  expressly  set  down  by  Mrs. 
Eddy,  no  progress  in  the  understanding  of  it  will 
be  possible.  This  perpetual  clinging  to  the  idea 
that  one  is  still  in  a  sense  world  is  the  cause  of 
ceaseless  confusion,  and  is  seriously  interfering 
with  our  progress.  The  only  world  in  which 
Christian  Science  claims  for  itself  the  right  of 
existence  is  a  non-sense  world.  Mrs.  Eddy  has 
plainly  said :  "  We  cannot  perceive  divine  Science 
with  the  material  senses." 

Two  Worlds  at  a  Time.  It  is  not  an  unusual 
spectacle  to  see  religious  systems  harness  up  two 
worlds  tandem  and  drive  them  together  in  that 
relation,  but  to  find  a  system  of  religion  trying  to 


KON-SENSE  SCIENCE  31 

drive  two  worlds  at  a  time  side  by  side  as  a  team 
is  something  new.  One  present  world  is  about  all 
that  the  ordinary  metaphysician  can  successfully 
handle.  The  practical  application  of  Christian 
Science  requires  the  presence  of  two  worlds  at  a 
time.  One  in  which  to  live,  the  other  in  which  to 
do  one's  thinking. 

The  first  world  in  which  we  live,  God  has  pro- 
vided, and  it  is  this  material  world.  In  it  all 
Christian  Scientists,  just  like  other  people,  live,  and 
move,  and  have  their  being.  Mrs.  Eddy  calls  it  an 
unreal  or  dream  world.  In  this  connection  it  may 
be  well  to  recall  Kant's  famous  remark :  "  A 
dream  which  all  dream  together,  and  which  all 
must  dream,  is  not  a  dream  but  reality." 

The  second  world,  "  the  real  world  of  Christian 
Science,"  is,  as  Mrs.  Eddy  has  already  informed 
us,  a  "  thought  world."  This  world  she  created 
simply  because  she  was  incapable  of  thinking  her 
way  through  the  metaphysical  problems  presented 
by  the  universe  in  which  we  live.  She  might  have 
gotten  along  without  doing  this,  like  most  mortals 
do,  had  it  not  been  for  the  fact  that  she  started  to 
teach  a  system  of  mental  healing  whose  fundamen- 
tal propositions  were  that  "  Mind  governs  all  "  and 
that  "  there  is  no  intelligence  or  sensation  in  mat- 
ter." It  was  not  long  before  some  of  her  more 
skeptical  pupils  were  demanding  of  her  that  she 
explain  to  them  the  true  relation  between  spirit  and 
matter  in  such  a  world.     Having  no  knowledge  of 


S2    THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

philosophy,  Mrs.  Eddy  found  herself  utterly  inca- 
pable of  doing  this.  Had  she  known  just  a  little 
about  philosophical  idealism,  like  Swedenborg, 
Andrew  Jackson  Davis,  Quimby,  and  Evans,  she 
might  have  saved  herself  from  the  blunder  into 
which  she  fell.  But  while  she  is  sometimes  igno- 
rantly  identified  with  Bishop  Berkley  and  his  school 
of  thought,  any  one  who  knows  anything  about 
philosophical  idealism  and  Mrs.  Eddy's  philosophy 
realizes  tliat  they  have  nothing  whatever  in  com- 
mon. Mrs.  Eddy  does  not  merit  this  compliment, 
for  she  knew  nothing  whatever  about  Berkley's 
philosophy.  Here  again  to  Mr.  Wiggin  she  owes 
the  honour  of  having  her  name  linked  up  with 
Berkley.  In  that  notorious  chapter  entitled  Way- 
side Hints,  which  he  wrote  for  one  of  the  earlier 
editions  of  Science  and  Health,  in  speaking  of 
Berkley  he  says : 

He  was  a  great  Natural  Scientist  in  his  day,  and 
held  opinions  concerning  "  absolute  idealism  "  which 
advanced  his  memoi-y  near  the  border-line  of  Chris- 
tian Science  [20th  ed.,  p.  230]. 

That  hint  was  so  valuable  that  it  has  been  made 
much  of  ever  since.  Being  thus  unable  to  avail  her- 
self of  the  aid  of  classical  philosophy  she  had  to 
find  some  substitute.  After  floundering  about  for 
a  time  in  several  different  theories,  she  at  last 
resorted  to  the  child-mind  method  of  escaping 
from  intellectual  difBculties — that  of  denial.    Using 


KON-SENSE  SCIENCE  33 

her  own  graphic  figure,  we  may  say,  that,  driven 
to  desperation,  she  hunted  up  the  Httle  sHng  of  her 
childhood  days  and  putting  into  it  the  smooth 
pebble  of  the  denial  of  the  existence  of  matter, 
she  went  forth  in  mortal  combat  against  the  great 
Goliath  of  materialism,  and  striking  him  between 
the  eyes  with  this  denial  she  slew  him.  Then  tak- 
ing the  sword  of  reason  from  his  hands  she  cut  off 
his  head  and  hurled  his  lifeless  corpse  out  of  the 
world  of  Christian  Science.  This  heroic  act  made 
Mrs.  Eddy  the  proud  champion  of  a  new  system  of 
metaphysics  in  which  spirit,  or  mind,  is  left  in 
undisputed  possession  of  the  field,  monarch  of  all 
it  surveys.  Thus  within  this  new  world  at  least 
the  eternal  conflict  between  spirit  and  matter  is 
ended,  and  peace  and  harmony  reign.  AH  the 
profound  problems  of  philosophy  and  metaphysics 
have  been  eliminated  at  one  stroke.  The  material 
universe,  the  cause  of  them  all,  is  no  more.  Of 
course  the  reader  must  remember  that  this  tragedy 
-is  enacted  only  in  the  "thought  world"  of  non- 
sense science. 

As  if  by  magic  a  new  school  of  philosophy  is 
born.  Soon  it  is  the  parent  of  the  Massachusetts 
Metaphysical  College  of  which  Mrs.  Eddy  naturally 
becomes  the  president  and  the  whole  faculty.  This 
college  was  typical  of  the  non-sense  world  in  which 
it  was  established.  No  entrance  examinations 
were  required  to  be  passed  by  applicants  for  admis- 
sion, if  they  could  produce  the  $300  fee  that  was 


34    THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

all  that  was  demanded.  Not  only  this,  but  Mrs. 
Eddy  went  a  step  farther  and  advertised  that  *'  no 
intellectual  qualifications  are  required  of  students." 
From  the  most  unpromising  material,  uneducated 
factory  hands  and  others  of  the  same  class,  in  from 
seven  to  twelve  half  days  she  was  able  to  graduate 
from  her  metaphysical  college,  physicians,  teachers, 
preachers,  theologians,  metaphysicians,  all  of 
whom  had  completed  the  full  curriculum  course  in 
pathology,  ontology,  therapeutics,  moral  science, 
metaphysics,  and  their  application  to  diseases. 
(See  "The  Life  of  Mary  Baker  Eddy,"  by  Sibyl 
Wilbur,  p.  272.) 

This  magic  college  and  its  modern  substitutes 
have  introduced  into  the  cultural  realm  of  meta- 
physics a  new  type  of  philosophers  who  gain  no 
little  satisfaction  out  of  the  distinction  of  being 
able  to  use  the  erudite  word,  "  metaphysics,"  and 
learnedly  to  discuss  the  non-existence  of  matter  in 
company  where  familiar  knowledge  of  such  pro- 
found subjects  naturally  creates  considerable  won- 
der and  admiration.  All  of  these  benefits  con- 
ferred by  the  simple  expedient  of  denying  the  ex- 
istence of  matter,  which  is  as  unaffected  by  it  all 
as  the  mountain  by  the  boring  of  the  mole.  Mrs. 
Eddy  herself  delighted  in  the  attention  and  renoun 
which  she  thus  occasioned,  and  gained — In  some 
quarters — a  reputation  for  being  a  deep  thinker 
such  as  she  never  could  have  obtained  in  any  legit- 
imate scholarly  way. 


NON-SENSE  SCIENCE  36 

It  must  be  acknowledged  that  she  knew  what 
most  of  her  followers  have  failed  to  sense,  and 
what  many  critics  of  Science  and  Health  have 
realized,  this  denial  of  the  existence  of  matter  and 
those  which  naturally  follow  from  it, — the  denial 
of  the  existence  of  sin,  sickness,  and  death, — are 
no  legitimate  part  of  her  real  system  of  mental 
healing,  but  if  pressed  to  their  conclusion  practi- 
cally stultify  it.  But  she  did  not  expect  to  win 
disciples  from  scholars,  and  she  had  to  find  some 
way  out  of  her  intellectual  difficulties.  This 
scheme  was  the  easiest  and  looked  most  promising, 
so  she  adopted  it;  and  experience  has  shown 
that  she  made  no  mistake;  it  has  worked  like  a 
charm. 

Even  it,  however,  has  its  perils,  for  when  one  is 
driving  two  worlds  at  a  time  side  by  side  there  is 
grave  danger  of  getting  them  tangled  up.  Some 
one  might  happen  to  try  to  think  non-sense  science 
in  the  rational  world  where  we  live ;  or  one  might 
some  time  try  to  live  in  the  non-sense  world  created 
exclusively  for  thinking.  The  occasional  casual- 
ties that  occur  in  Christian  Science  from  such 
blunders  have  to  be  accepted  as  unavoidable.  But 
Mrs.  Eddy,  as  we  see  in  the  chapter,  Where  Non- 
Sense  Ceases  and  Sense  Begins,  never  took  any 
chances  herself,  and  did  everything  within  her 
power  to  safeguard  her  followers.  She  gives  her 
healers  this  liberty  in  trying  to  fathom  the  Science 
of  Being: 


36   THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

It  shall  be  the  privilege  of  a  Christian  Scientist  to 
confer  with  an  M.  D.  on  Ontology,  or  the  Science  of 
Being  ["  Manual,"  p.  47]. 

It  is  for  this  same  reason  that  she  separates  Science 
and  Health  into  two  distinct  parts  and  restricts  her 
teachers,  in  instructing  healers,  to  the  chapter  on 
Recapitulation  and  the  Christian  Science  Platform 
(see  Manual,  p.  86).  The  difference  between  this 
chapter  and  platform,  and  the  other  parts  of  Sci- 
ence and  Health  will  be  brought  out  in  a  later 
study.  She  had  good  reason  for  fearing  that  dab- 
bling in  the  other  parts  might  take  both  teacher 
and  pupil  over  into  the  other  world  of  Christian 
Science  which  is  meant  only  for  thinking. 

With  consummate  skill  Mrs.  Eddy  keeps  these 
two  worlds  stepping  along  side  by  side  through 
Science  and  Health,  and  never  once  does  she  allow 
them  to  get  beyond  her  control,  jump  their  traces, 
or  pull  too  much  of  each  other's  load.  With  the 
firm  hand  of  a  master  she  keeps  them  in  their 
places.  When  dealing  with  the  practical  subject 
of  healing,  she  stays  in  the  natural  world  where 
people  live,  and  sticks  to  the  theory  that  *'  Mind 
governs  all,  and  that  there  is  no  intelligence  and 
sensation  in  matter.**  Thus  she  gives  her  medicine, 
"  Mind,'*  a  chance  to  act  upon  the  human  body 
which  is  ailing.  Only  when  she  is  engaged  in  the 
intellectual  by-sport  of  philosophizing  upon  the 
Science  of  Being  and  interpreting  the  Bible  spir- 
itually docs  she  move  over  into  the  "  Thought 


NON-SENSE  SCIENCE  37 

World  "  of  Christian  Science  where  he^  denial  of 
the  existence  of  matter  gives  spirit,  or  mind,  un- 
trammelled freedom  to  live  alone.  Mrs.  Eddy 
showed  great  sagacity,  she  did  no  healing  herself, 
she  confined  her  activities  to  teaching  others  the 
theory  of  mental  healing,  and  then  let  them  put  it 
into  practice  in  the  other  world  as  best  they  could. 
This  was  why  she  was  in  a  position  to  make  any 
kind  of  extravagant  claims  for  it,  and  blame  all 
failures  upon  the  fact  that  her  practitioners  did 
not  understand  her  science  well  enough  success- 
fully to  apply  it.  As  we  shall  see  later  Mrs.  Eddy 
herself  lived  in  one  world,  and  thought  for  her 
followers  in  another. 

The  reader  now  has  some  idea  of  Mrs.  Eddy  as 
a  metaphysician  and  her  system  of  metaphysics. 
By  denying  the  existence  of  matter,  dethroning 
the  human  mind,  discrediting  reason,  discarding 
all  knowledge,  impeaching  the  testimony  of  the 
senses,  she  has  deprived  nature  of  her  ability  to 
reveal  the  truth  God  entrusted  her  to  communicate 
to  mankind  for  his  instruction,  guidance,  and  help. 
If  any  large  number  of  people  should  seriously  try 
to  apply  such  teaching  to  their  daily  living  the  con- 
sequences would  be  disastrous.  But  they  never 
will. 

What  the  application  of  this  same  non-sense 
science  does  to  the  truth  which  God  has  revealed 
through  the  Bible  will  be  shown  in  the  next  chapter. 


n 

NON-SENSE  SCIENCE  AND  THE  BIBLE 

CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE  features  the  Bible. 
Mrs.  Eddy  is  constantly  asserting  that 
from  it  alone  she  derived  the  truth  of  her 
system.  A  few  typical  statements  will  bring  out 
this  fact: 

Divine  Science  derives  its  sanction  from  the  Bible 
[p.  146]. 

Christian  Science,  understood,  coincides  with  the 
Scriptures,  and  sustains  logically  and  demonstratively 
every  point  it  presents.  Otherwise  it  would  not  be 
Science  [p.  358]. 

He  that  decries  this  Science  does  it  presumptu- 
ously, in  the  face  of  Bible  history  and  in  defiance  of 
the  direct  command  of  Jesus,  "  Go  ye  into  all  the 
world,  and  preach  the  gospel"  [p.  342]. 

I  have  found  nothing  in  ancient  or  modem  systems 
on  which  to  found  my  own,  except  the  teachings  and 
demonstrations  of  our  great  Master  and  the  lives  of 
prophets  and  apostles.  The  Bible  has  been  my  only 
authority.  I  have  had  no  other  guide  in  the 
"  straight  and  narrow  way"  of  Truth  [p.  126]. 

Such  unqualified  assertions  of  loyalty  to  the 
Bible  are  calculated  to  allay  any  doubt  as  to  the 
Scriptural  character  of  this  new  system  of  religion. 
And  they  are  used  with  telling  effect  as  talking 

38 


NON-SENSE  SCIENCE  AND  THE  BIBLE    39 

points  by  its  proselyters.  To  the  casual  reader 
they  seem  to  settle  this  point,  but  to  those  who  are 
familiar  with  Mrs.  Eddy's  art  of  camouflaging 
they  stimulate  a  little  further  investigation. 

It  will  help  very  materially  in  understanding 
Christian  Science  if  at  the  outset  the  position  which 
the  Bible  occupies  in  this  religious  cult  is  clearly 
realized.  Instead  of  being  the  source  of  its  truth 
and  its  "  only  authority  "  it  occupies  the  anomalous 
position  of  being  only  one  of  Mrs.  Eddy's  many 
camouflaging  agents.  As  such  she  makes  constant 
use  of  it.  Just  as  the  boys  at  the  front,  when  en- 
camped in  the  woods,  cut  down  branches  from  the 
trees  and  covered  them  over  all  the  guns,  trucks, 
ambulances,  tents,  so  that  the  whole  camp  blended 
harmoniously  with  its  surroundings  and  seemed  a 
natural  part  of  the  forest,  so  Mrs.  Eddy  cuts  out 
passages  from  the  Bible,  fixes  them  over  and  skill- 
fully places  them  here  and  there  throughout 
Science  and  Health  so  that  they  create  the  impres- 
sion that  its  truth  blends  harmoniously  with  the 
Bible.  And  this  is  what  all  loyal  Christian  Scien- 
tists honestly  believe. 

The  Bible  and  Science  and  Health  Ordained 
Pastors.  One  of  the  shrewdest  moves  she  ever 
made  to  clinch  this  impression  was  ordaining 
the  Bible  and  Science  and  Health  pastor  of  every 
Christian  Science  church  upon  this  planet.  The 
universal  Christian  Science  ministry  thus  instituted 
formed  an  exclusive  co-pastorate  between  the  Bible 


40    THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

and  Science  and  Health.  To  these  two  especially 
ordained  pastors  alone  is  granted  the  honour  and 
privilege  of  preaching  in  Christian  Science  pulpits. 
Not  only  are  they  alone  allowed  to  preach,  but  in 
every  Christian  Science  reading  room  and  home 
they  are  the  sole  teachers  of  the  truth. 

For  the  benefit  of  those  not  familiar  with 
Christian  Science  practices  we  will  quote  the  by- 
laws which  govern  the  respective  duties  of  these 
co-pastors  in  the  regular  church  service,  and  those 
of  the  readers  who  act  as  their  mouthpieces. 
They  read: 

The  First  Readers  in  the  Christian  Science 
churches  shall  read  the  correlative  texts  in  Science 
and  Health  with  Key  to  the  Scriptures ;  and  the  Sec- 
ond Readers  shall  read  the  Bible  texts.  The  read- 
ings from  the  Scriptures  shall  precede  the  readings 
from  Science  and  Health  [Sect.  4,  p.  32]. 

These  Readers  shall  be  members  of  The  Mother 
Church.  They  shall  read  understandingly  and  be 
well  educated.  They  shall  make  no  remarks  ex- 
planatory of  the  Lesson-Sermon  at  any  time  [Sect. 
6,  p.  32]. 

From  this  by-law  it  must  not  be  assumed  that 
these  two  pastors  occupy  positions  of  equal  author- 
ity, or  that  when  it  comes  to  a  show-down  the  Bible 
is  the  superior  authority  of  the  two.  As  we  shall 
soon  see,  quite  the  contrary  is  the  case.  In  spite 
of  Mrs.  Eddy's  profession  that  the  Bible  has  been 
her  **  only  authority  in  the  straight  and  narrow 
way  of  Truth,"  she  never  allows  the  Bible  to  exer- 


NONSENSE  SCIENCE  AND  THE  BIBLE    41 

cise  any  authority  over  her  teaching.  Science  and 
Health  is  her  only  authority,  and  as  such  it  be- 
comes the  real  pastor  of  every  Christian  Science 
Church.  The  Bible  is  nothing  more  than  its  as- 
sistant pastor.  As  a  superior  official  Science  and 
Health  is  very  exacting,  it  never  allows  the  Bible 
any  liberty,  or  any  rights  and  privileges.  It  is 
never  allowed  to  speak  alone  to  any  Christian 
Scientist.  Science  and  Health  may  be  studied 
alone,  but  a  loyal  Christian  Scientist  would  sooner 
take  poison  than  read  the  Bible  without  the  Key 
to  the  Scriptures  at  hand  to  guide  in  the  under- 
standing of  its  "  inner  or  true  spiritual  meaning." 
For  in  a  non-sense  world  poison  is  harmless,  but 
a  Bible  truth  that  has  not  been  so  ''spiritually  inter- 
preted '*  that  it  agrees  with  the  teachings  of  Science 
and  Health  would  be  a  deadly  draught. 

It  is  quite  common  to  hear  Christian  Scientists 
virtuously  remark:  "  I  never  studied  my  Bible  as 
I  have  since  I  became  a  scientist."  And  they 
honestly  believe  this  is  so,  for  it  does  seem  to  them 
that  they  are  diligently  studying  their  Bible.  They 
do  not  realize  that  a  loyal  Christian  Scientist  never 
really  studies  the  Bible.  It  is  Science  and  Health 
that  is  studied,  and  the  Bible  is  simply  dragged  in 
to  confirm  its  teaching.  And  only  when  it  com- 
plies with  this  requirement  is  it  allowed  to  be 
studied. 

Naturally  some  readers  will  be  a  little  skeptical 
about  all  that  has  just  been  said  concerning  Mrs. 


42    THE  NOK-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

Eddy's  use  of  the  Bible  as  a  camouflage  agent,  and 
its  subordination  to  the  authority  of  Science  and 
Health.  The  idea  is  so  contrary  to  general  im- 
pression that  it  is  hard  to  believe.  At  this  point 
we  are  not  disposed  to  quarrel  with  any  one  upon 
this  score,  we  passed  through  the  same  experience ; 
but  we  are  confident  that  those  who  follow  this 
study  through  to  the  end  will  find  that  Mrs.  Eddy's 
own  words  will  abundantly  confirm  what  has  been 
said. 

Having  professed  in  such  unmistakable  words 
her  loyalty  to  the  Bible  as  her  "  only  authority,"  it 
requires  considerable  skillful  manipulation  to  work 
things  around  to  the  point  where  she  will  be  per- 
mitted to  take  the  liberties  with  its  teaching  which 
characterize  her  habitual  use  of  it  without  arousing 
suspicion  of  duplicity  or  insincerity.  But  at  this 
sort  of  thing  Mrs.  Eddy  was  an  adept,  and  she 
knew  so  well  the  people  with  whom  she  had  to 
deal  that  she  finds  little  difficulty  in  accomplishing 
this  feat.  Would  you  like  to  see  how  she  does 
this?  Then  follow  her  along  the  devious  way 
through  which  she  guides  the  faithful  to  the  point 
where  she  wishes  them  to  stand.  It  will  be  a 
liberal  education  in  the  art  of  camouflaging. 

Her  first  step  is  to  call  attention  to  the  obvious 
fact  that  the  Scriptural  sanction  which  she  claims 
for  her  system  is  not  derived  from  the  English 
translation  of  the  Bible.  It  is  so  self-evident  that 
the  plain  meaning  of  the  English  words  contradicts 


NON-SENSE  SCIENCE  AND  THE  BIBLE    43 

her  non-sense  science  from  the  first  chapter  of 
Genesis  to  the  last  of  Revelation  that  even  she 
does  not  pretend  otherwise.  It  is  for  this  reason 
that  she  finds  it  necessary  to  discredit  the  accuracy 
and  authority  of  all  translations.  This  is  most 
adroitly  done  by  introducing  into  Science  and 
Health  her  Key  to  the  Scriptures,  which  she  in- 
forms the  reader  unlocks  the  door  to  the  ''  inner 
and  true  spiritual  meaning  of  the  Word."  Begin- 
ning with  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis,  she  chal- 
lenges the  unreliability  of  the  English  translation 
by  thus  discrediting  the  translators: 

The  translators  of  this  record  of  scientific  creation 
entertained  a  false  sense  of  being.  They  believed 
in  the  existence  of  matter,  its  propagation  and 
power.  From  that  standpoint  of  error,  they  could 
not  apprehend  the  nature  and  operation  of  Spirit. 
Hence  the  seeming  contradiction  in  that  Scripture, 
which  is  so  glorious  in  its  spiritual  significance  [p. 
545]. 

As  our  study  progresses  It  will  be  seen  that  the 
only  chapter  in  the  whole  Bible  to  which  Science 
and  Health  gives  its  unqualified  approval  is  this 
first  chapter  of  Genesis.  And  even  this  has  to  be 
fixed  over  by  means  of  "spiritual  interpretation" 
and  distorted  out  of  all  semblance  to  its  natural 
and  true  meaning  before  it  gains  approval. 

Even  this  might  be  overlooked  if  the  unrelia- 
bility of  the  Bible  were  confined  to  the  errors  of  the 
translators,  but  this  is  only  a  small  item.     We  are 


44    THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

next  informed  that  those  who  selected  what  should 
constitute  the  Bible  were  also  victims  of  this  same 
"  false  sense  of  being,"  and  so  have  not  given  us 
the  true  Bible.  This  additional  fact  Mrs.  Eddy 
brings  out  in  this  paragraph: 

The  decisions  by  vote  of  Church  Councils  as  to 
what  should  and  should  not  be  considered  Holy  Writ ; 
the  manifest  mistakes  in  the  ancient  versions;  the 
thirty  thousand  different  readings  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, and  the  three  hundred  thousand  in  the  New, — 
these  facts  show  how  a  mortal  and  material  sense 
stole  into  the  divine  record,  with  its  own  hue  darken- 
ing to  some  extent  the  inspired  pages  [p.  139]. 

Not  only  are  the  translators  and  members  of 
church  councils  victims  of  "  material  sense,"  but 
the  unreliability  of  the  Scriptures  penetrates  into 
the  very  structure  of  the  books  themselves,  for  the 
writers  of  these  books  are  often  victims  of  this 
same  ''  error  " — material  sense.  In  order  to  make 
room  for  overcoming  glaring  denials  of  her  inter- 
pretation of  passages,  she  is  forced  to  claim  that 
the  inspired  teachers  themselves  are  the  only  ones 
who  had  a  true  "  sense  of  being,"  and  this  is  often 
obscured  by  "  uninspired  writers  who  only  wrote 
down  what  an  inspired  teacher  had  said  "  (p.  319). 

One  other  factor  enters  into  this  problem  and 
seriously  impairs  the  true  meaning  of  even  those 
remaining  parts  of  Scripture  which  are  left  after 
the  errors  of  uninspired  recorders,  councils,  and 
translators  have  reduced  its  reliable  proportions  to 


NON-SENSE  SCIENCE  AND  THE  BIBLE    46 

a  very  small  minimum.  This  is  the  fact  that  both 
the  historic  and  present-day  interpreters  of  what  is 
left  show  themselves  to  be  but  the  helpless  victims 
of  the  same  "  mortal  and  material  sense  " ;  for  this 
reason  they  must  be  recognized  as  utterly  incapable 
of  interpreting  "  the  Scriptures  in  their  true  sense." 
Mrs,  Eddy  the  One  Person  of  the  Ages  Bs- 
pecially  Chosen  and  Prepared  by  God  to  Interpret 
the  Scriptures  Correctly.  Fortunately  three  Prov- 
idential things  have  transpired,  in  the  course  of 
human  history,  which  combine  to  relieve  this  des- 
perate situation  and  give  us  back  our  lost  Bible. 
First,  where  man  has  so  miserably  failed,  woman 
comes  to  the  rescue.  Because  in  the  garden  of 
Eden  she  was  the  "  first  to  confess  her  fault  "  she 
thereby  reveals  the  significant  fact  that  woman  is 
the  one  who  possesses  the  "  true  sense  of  being," 
and  so  alone  is  endowed  with  the  potential  pos- 
sibilities of  some  day  bringing  to  light  the  true 
sense  of  Scripture.  This  fact  Mrs.  Eddy  thus 
describes: 

Truth,  cross-questioning  man  as  to  his  knowledge 
of  error,  finds  woman  the  first  to  confess  her  fault. 
She  says,  "  The  serpent  beguiled  me,  and  I  did  eat ;  " 
as  much  as  to  say  in  meek  penitence,  "  Neither  man 
nor  God  shall  father  my  fault."  She  has  already 
learned  that  corporeal  sense  is  the  serpent.  Hence 
she  is  first  to  abandon  the  belief  in  the  material  origin 
of  man  and  to  discern  spiritual  creation.  *  *  * 
This  enabled  woman  to  be  first  to  interpret  the  Scrip- 
tures in  their  true  sense  [p.  533f.]. 


46    THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

Second,  of  all  the  women  who  might  have  been 
chosen  **  first  to  interpret  the  Scriptures  in  their 
true  sense,"  after  waiting  six  thousand  years,  God 
especially  called  Mrs.  Mary  Baker  Glover  Patter- 
son Eddy  to  perform  this  supremely  important 
task.  She  does  not  hesitate  to  undertake  it  be- 
cause, as  she  says : 

God  had  been  graciously  preparing  me  during 
many  years  for  the  reception  of  this  final  revelation 
[p.  107]. 

Third,  in  order  properly  to  transmit  and  pre- 
serve this  precious  revelation,  Mrs.  Eddy  com- 
mitted its  truth  to  one  infallible  book — Science 
and  Health.  Vouching  for  its  infallibility  she 
says: 

In  this  volume  of  mine  there  are  no  contradictory 
statements  [p.  345]. 

If  one  of  the  statements  in  this  book  is  true,  every 
one  must  be  true,  for  not  one  departs  from  the  stated 
system  and  rule  [p.  547]. 

There  is  neither  place  nor  opportimity  in  Science 
for  error  of  any  sort  [p.  232]. 

Gradually  our  problem  has  been  narrowed  down 
until  it  forces  the  conclusion  that  to  Mrs.  Eddy 
alone  God  has  entrusted  the  stupendous  respon- 
sibility of  correctly  interpreting  the  Scriptures  for 
humanity.  This  distinction  she  does  not  hesitate 
to  claim.     She  says: 

Even  the  Scripture  gave  no  direct  interpretation  of 


NON-SENSE  SCIENCE  AND  THE  BIBLE    47 

the  Scientific  basis  for  demonstrating  the  spiritual 
Principle  of  healing,  until  our  Heavenly  Father  saw- 
fit,  through  the  Key  to  the  Scriptures,  in  Science  and 
Health,  to  unlock  this  mystery  of  godliness  [R.  and 

I-,p.55f-]- 

Christian  Science  separates  error  from  truth,  and 
breathes  through  the  sacred  pages  the  spiritual  sense 
of  life,  substance,  and  intelligence  [p.  548]. 

In  approaching  her  task,  she  lays  down  two  con- 
ditions as  essential  for  the  correct  understanding  of 
Christian  Science  and  the  Bible.  They  are:  "  Ac- 
quaintance with  the  original  texts,  and  willingness 
to  give  up  human  beliefs"  (p.  24).  These,  she 
says,  "  open  the  way  for  Christian  Science  to  be 
understood,  and  make  the  Bible  the  chart  of  Life  " 
(p.  24).  The  second  of  these  claims,  "willing- 
ness to  give  up  human  beliefs,"  has  already  been 
treated.  It  alone  opens  the  way  for  non-sense  in- 
terpretation. The  first  condition,  "  acquaintance 
wath  the  original  texts,"  hints  at  real  scholarship, 
and  enables  her  to  account  for  the  most  unusual 
meanings  which  she  gives  to  Scriptural  v^ords  by 
saying  these  are  the  correct  meanings  of  the  origi- 
nal Hebrew  and  Greek  words.  This  explanation 
may  satisfy  those  who  do  not  know^  Hebrew  and 
Greek.  How  it  stands  the  test  of  knowledge  of 
these  languages  we  shall  see. 

If  "  acquaintance  with  the  original  texts  "  is  one 
of  the  essential  requirements  to  "  open  the  way  for 
Christian  Science  to  be  understood,  and  make  the 
Bible  the  chart  of  Life,"  then  two  things  inevitably 


48   THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

follow:  First,  only  those  who  know  Hebrew  and 
Greek  can  hope  to  understand  Christian  Science; 
second,  Mrs.  Eddy  herself  then  must  of  necessity 
have  been  an  expert  Hebrew  and  Greek  scholar. 
For,  to  rely  upon  the  assistance  of  any  other  per- 
son, at  this  point,  would  open  the  door  for  funda- 
mental error,  and  envelop  in  an  atmosphere  of 
uncertainty  all  of  her  "  inspired  interpretations." 
Those  who  knew  how  backward  she  was,  as  a 
child,  in  her  studies,  how  limited  were  her  educa- 
tional advantages,  and  how  full  of  errors  her  un- 
revised  writings,  never  dreamed  that  she  would 
ever  claim  to  be  a  classical  scholar.  But  in  the 
later  years  of  her  life  she  does  even  make  this 
claim.     In  her  autobiography  she  says: 

From  my  brother  Albert  I  received  lessons  in  the 
ancient  tongues,  Hebrew,  Greek,  and  Latin.  My 
brother  studied  Hebrew  during  his  college  vacations 
[R.  and  I.,  p.  20]. 

Now  Mrs.  Eddy  was  only  nine  years  old  when 
her  brother  Albert  went  to  college,  and  thirteen 
when  he  graduated  and  left  home  to  enter  law. 
So  that  if  at  that  age  she  learned  Hebrew  from 
her  brother,  who  himself  was  only  studying  it  in 
spare  moments  during  his  vacations,  and  also 
Greek  and  Latin,  she  must  have  been  very  preco- 
cious in  acquiring  the  classic  languages.  But  why 
bring  up  her  early  childhood  studies?  She  con- 
fesses that  this  early  learning  did  not  remain  with 
her.     In  the  very  next  sentence  she  says: 


NON-SENSE  SCIENCE  AND  THE  BIBLE    49 

After  my  discovery  of  Christian  Science,  most  of 
the  knowledge  I  had  gleaned  from  schoolbooks  van- 
ished like  a  dream.  Learning  was  so  illumined,  that 
grammar  was  eclipsed  [R.  and  I.,  p.  20]. 

Any  one  who  has  read  the  first  fifteen  editions  of 
Science  and  Health  can  testify  to  the  apparent 
truthfulness  of  this  confession.  The  best  evidence, 
however,  is  to  be  found  in  her  securing  the  services 
of  Rev.  James  Henry  Wiggin,  an  ex-Unitarian 
minister,  to  correct  the  defects  which  resulted  from 
this  "  eclipse  "  of  grammar.  In  explanation  of  this 
unaccountable  procedure  on  the  part  of  one  who  is 
transmitting  an  inerrant  revelation,  Mrs.  Eddy 
made  this  statement  in  the  New  York  American, 
November  22,  1906: 

It  was  a  great  mistake  to  say  that  I  employed  Rev- 
erend James  Henry  Wiggin  to  correct  my  diction. 
It  was  for  no  such  purpose.  *  *  *  j  especially 
employed  him  on  Science  and  Health  with  Key  tc 
the  Scriptures  because  at  that  date  some  critics  de- 
clared that  my  book  was  as  ungrammatical  as  it  was 
misleading.  I  availed  myself  of  the  name  of  the 
former  proof-reader  for  the  University  Press,  Cam- 
bridge, to  defend  my  grammatical  construction. 
[Quoted  from  The  Life  of  Mary  Baker  Eddy,  by 
Sibyl  Wilbur,  p.  3i3f.] 

Why  correct  grammatical  construction  should 
need  defense  she  does  not  tell  us.  One  thing  is 
certain;  her  grammatical  construction  needed 
either  defense  or  correction.  And  when  the  six- 
teenth  edition  is   compared   with   the  preceding 


50    THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

p  fifteen,  it  does  not  take  long  to  find  out  what  Rev. 

I  James  Henry  Wiggin  did.     He  did  not  defend,  he 

"^  simply  corrected  it. 

At  the  same  time  her  "  grammar  was  eclipsed," 
her  schoolbook  knowledge  of  Hebrew,  Greek,  and 
Latin  must  also  have  "  vanished  like  a  dream." 
For  no  real  attempt  to  use  this  knowledge  is  found 
in  the  first  fifteen  editions.  Here  again  it  is  with 
the  advent  of  Rev.  James  Henry  Wiggin  and  the 
sixteenth  edition  that  we  find  distinct  technical 
knowledge  of  Hebrew  and  Greek  making  its  way 
into  the  text.  This  statement  will  be  abundantly 
illustrated  later. 

It  is  also  an  interesting  coincidence  that  it  is  in 
the  sixteenth  and  some  following  editions  that  Mrs. 
Eddy  first  manifests  particular  fondness  for  the 
sermons  of  Dr.  William  Ellery  Channing,  the  great 
Unitarian  preacher.  So  frequent,  in  these  editions, 
are  the  quotations  from  his  sermons  that  this 
formula  is  at  last  resorted  to,  "  recurring  once 
more  to  Dr.  Channing"  (see  20th  ed.,  p.  160). 
In  this  study  we  are  not  primarily  interested  in  the 
controversy  as  to  whether  Rev.  James  Henry 
Wiggin  "  practically  rewrote  Science  and  Health  " 
or  not.  That  is  but  a  trifling  incident  to  which, 
in  passing,  we  may  refer  as  relevant  facts  come 
under  our  observation. 

We  will  now  give  an  illustration  of  the  way  in 
which  Mrs.  Eddy  sustains  her  pious  claim:  "The 
Bible  has  been  my  only  authority.     I  have  had  no 


NON-SENSE  SCIENCE  Am>  THE  BIBLE    61 

Other  guide  in  the  *  straight  and  narrow  way '  of 
Truth." 

The  First  Chapter  of  Genesis,  Spiritually  Inter- 
preted, is  True;  the  Second,  is  a  Lie,  When  all 
the  material  things  and  creatures  mentioned  in  the 
first  chapter  of  Genesis  are  properly  resolved  into 
thoughts  after  the  fashion  exhibited  in  the  non- 
sense world  and  the  non-sense  Zoo  already  studied, 
Mrs.  Eddy  pronounces  this  account  of  creation  the 
true  one.  But  when  she  comes  to  the  account  in 
the  second  chapter  even  she  is  not  able  to  twist  this 
into  harmony  with  her  non-sense  science,  so  she 
has  to  get  rid  of  it  some  other  way.  Notice  how 
she  does  this:  Quoting  Genesis  3:  15,  which  reads: 
*'  And  the  Lord  God  took  the  man,  and  put  him 
into  the  garden  of  Eden  to  dress  it  and  to  keep  it," 
she  comments : 

In  this  text  Eden  stands  for  the  mortal,  material 
body.  God  could  not  put  mind  into  matter  nor  infinite 
Spirit  into  finite  form  [p.  526f.]. 

Why  not?  Simply  because  such  a  statement 
contradicts  her  theory  that  there  is  no  "  matter." 
That  the  Bible  plainly  says  that  God  did  put  ''  in- 
finite Spirit  into  finite  form,"  and  "mind  into 
matter"  she  does  not  presume  to  deny.  How, 
then,  does  she  get  around  a  Biblical  statement 
which  contradicts  her  fundamental  premise? 
Without  the  slightest  compunction  she  brands  this 
Biblical  statement  a  lie.     Here  are  her  own  words: 


62    THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

This  later  part  of  the  second  chapter  of  Genesis, 
which  portrays  Spirit  as  supposedly  cooperating  with 
matter  in  constructing  the  universe,  is  based  on  some 
hypothesis  of  error  [p.  522]. 

Then  a  little  later  she  adds: 

Is  this  addition  to  His  creation  real  or  tmreal  ?  is  it 
the  truth,  or  is  it  a  lie  concerning  man  and  Grod? 
It  must  be  a  lie  [p.  524]. 

This  is  typical  of  the  way  the  Bible  is  always 
treated  whenever  it  comes  into  indisputable  con- 
flict with  Science  and  Health.  Her  book  must  al- 
ways be  accepted  as  the  unquestioned  and  ultimate 
Authority.  She  puts  this  requirement  in  these 
words: 

Whatever  seems  true,  and  yet  contradicts  Divine 
Science  *  *  *  must  be,  and  is,  false  [R.  and  L, 
p.  128]. 

In  order  to  maintain  the  assertion  that  the  above 
Scriptural  truth  is  a  lie,  she  does  not  hesitate  to 
impeach  the  character  and  standing  of  the  God  of 
the  second  chapter  of  Genesis.  In  the  early  edi- 
tions of  Science  and  Health,  before  she  has  secured 
any  one  to  supply  a  substitute  for  her  "  vanished  " 
knowledge  of  Hebrew,  she  makes  this  unpardon- 
able slip: 

In  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis  the  word  "  God  "  is 
wholly  used.  In  the  second  chapter,  when  error  is 
stated  in  contradistinction  and  its  creation  is  given  a 
history,  the  word  "  Lord  "  is  introduced.     As  the  be- 


NON-SENSE  SCIENCE  AND  THE  BIBLE    53 

lief  of  Deity  is  expressed  by  human  thought,  it  is 
given  .the  appellative  of  man.  The  term  "  Lord  "  is 
an  honorary  title  such  as  Sarah  gave  her  husband 
[3rd  ed.,  vol.  2,  p.  149]- 

Now  any  one  who  can  read  Hebrew  knows 
that  the  word  "  Lord  "  in  Genesis  2:4,  and  follow- 
ing, is  Yahzveh,  and  the  word  "  lord  "  in  Genesis 
18:12,  as  used  by  Sarah,  is  adon — two  radically 
different  words.  The  first,  Yahweh,  or  Jahveh, 
so  far  from  being  the  "  appellative  of  man  "  hap- 
pens to  be  the  most  sacred  of  all  the  names  of 
Deity ;  so  sacred,  that  this  name  is  never  uttered  by 
human  lips.  For  this  reason  its  consonants  are 
vocalized  by  substituting  the  vowels  of  another,  less 
sacred,  word  for  God — Adonai.  It  is  this  combina- 
tion of  consonants  and  vowels  which  gives  us  our 
familiar  word  Jehovah.*  Yet  it  is  this  most  sacred 
of  all  words,  which  Mrs.  Eddy  identifies  with  the 
honorary  title,  adon,  and  calls  it  the  "  appellative  of 
man."     Is  not  this  enough? 

Jehovah  is  a  False  God,  the  Creator  of  Error 
and  Evil.  With  the  advent  of  the  Rev.  James 
Henry  Wiggin,  whose  knowledge  of  Hebrew,  for- 
tunately, had  not  "  vanished,"  and  who  possessed 
the  additional  knowledge  of  the  critical  theory  of 
the  Elohistic  and  Jehovistic  documents  in  Genesis, 
this  new  theory  appears:  Elohim,  the  God  in  the 
first  chapter,  is  the  true  God — Spirit ;  and  Jehovah, 

*  Since  the  word  Jehovah,  instead  of  Yahweh,  is  always 
used  in  Science  and  Health  we  will  retain  it  in  this  study. 


54   THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

the  God  in  the  second  chapter,  is  a  false  God,  or 
finite,  corporeal  deity.  Elohim,  the  true  God,  is 
the  creator  of  man,  who  is  perfect.  Jehovah,  the 
finite,  corporeal  deity,  is  the  creator  of  Adam, 
error,  mortal  mind,  from  which  springs  matter, 
sin,  sickness,  pain,  and  death.  The  reader  ought 
to  know  that  in  the  early  days  of  Christian  Science, 
in  the  1870  class-room  manuscript,  in  the  little 
pamphlet  published  in  1876  entitled  The  Science 
of  Man,  and  in  the  early  editions  of  Science  and 
Health,  Jehovah  was  in  perfectly  good  standing 
as  the  true  God — Spirit.  Any  number  of  refer- 
ences such  as  the  following  might  be  quoted  in 
proof: 

Physiology,  anatomy,  pharmacy,  theology,  have  no 
claim  to  compete  with  Jehovah,  or  the  principle  of 
being. 

In  order  to  discredit  Jehovah,  she  exclaims: 

Did  the  divine  and  infinite  Principle  become  a 
finite  deity,  that  He  should  now  be  called  Jehovah? 
[p.  524]. 

In  another  place  she  says : 

In  the  name  Jehovah,  the  true  idea  of  God  seems 
almost  lost  [p.  524]. 

In  her  Glossary,  under  the  words,  Lord  God. 
Jehovah,  she  says: 

This  double  term  is  not  used  in  the  first  chapter  of 
Genesis,  the  record  of  spiritual  creation.  It  is  intro- 
duced in  the  second  and  following  chapters,  when  the 


NO]^-SENSE  SCIENCE  AND  THE  BIBLE    65 

spiritual  sense  of  God  and  infinity  is  disappearing 
from  the  recorder's  thought.  *  *  ♦  From  this 
follow  idolatry  and  mythology, — belief  in  many  gods, 
*  *  *  as  the  opposite  of  the  one  spirit,  or  intel- 
ligence, named  Elohim,  or  God  [p.  59of.]. 

Had  Mrs.  Eddy  stated  that  double  term  in  the 
original  Hebrew  as  it  occurs  in  the  second  chap- 
ter of  Genesis,  she  would  have  been  forced  to 
write  it  in  these  tell-tale  words:  Jehovah-Elohim. 
These  two  names  for  God  are  always  purposely 
joined  together  by  the  writer  in  the  second  chapter 
of  Genesis  to  make  impossible  the  contrast  she 
tries  to  create,  and  forever  to  establish  their 
mutual  identity.  Let  us  follow  this  contrast  else- 
where in  the  Bible  and  see  whether  it  is  sustained. 
After  quoting  the  words:  "  Thou  shalt  have  no 
other  gods  before  me,''  Mrs.  Eddy  remarks: 

The  First  Commandment  is  my  favourite  text.  It 
demonstrates  Christian  Science  [p.  340]. 

In  another  place  she  says: 

The  first  demand  of  this  Science  is,  "Thou  shalt 
have  no  other  gods  before  me."  This  me  is  Spirit 
[p.  467]. 

As  a  matter  of  information  let  us  check  up  this 
statement  in  the  original  Hebrew  and  see  whether 
this  "me'*  is  Elohim,  Spirit,  or  Jehovah — "the 
opposite  of  the  one  Spirit,  *  *  *  named 
Elohim,  or  God."  In  the  Hebrew  the  words  read 
as  follows:  "And  Elohim  spake  all  these  words 


56   THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

saying,  I  am  Jehovah,  thy  Elohim.  *  *  * 
Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods  before  me  "  (Ex. 
20 :  1-3  ) .  This  statement  throws  into  strange  con- 
fusion the  contrast  of  Mrs.  Eddy's  fundamental 
theory.  She  did  not  scruple  to  question  the  reha- 
bility  of  Jehovah's  words.  But  what  is  to  be  done 
when  Elohim,  the  true  God,  says :  "  I  am  Jeho- 
vah "  ?  Can  Christian  Science  continue  to  hold 
a  theory  that  Elohim's  words  flatly  deny?  This 
question  is  for  it  to  answer. 

Eden  not  a  Garden,  but  the  Human  Body. 
Another  interesting  illustration  of  Mrs.  Eddy's 
use  of  the  original  text  is  to  be  found  in  her  com- 
ment on  Genesis  2:  15,  the  verse  already  quoted; 
here  she  says: 

In  this  text  Eden  stands  for  the  mortal,  material 
body  [p.  526]. 

Of  course,  in  the  original  Hebrew  Eden  does  not 
mean  anything  of  the  kind,  but  for  the  sake  of 
argument  let  us  substitute  this  new  meaning  in 
some  of  the  verses  where  Eden  occurs,  and  see 
how  it  fits.  In  the  eighth  and  ninth  verses  of 
chapter  2,  we  read:  "And  the  Lord  God  planted  a 
garden  eastward  in  Eden.  *  *  *  And  out  of 
the  ground  made  the  Lord  God  to  grow  every  tree 
that  is  pleasant  to  the  sight  and  good  for  food." 
At  first  sight  this  would  seem  to  have  been  a  rather 
unusual  procedure,  for  a  garden  planted  even  in  the 
eastern  end  of  one's  body,  in  which  "  every  tree 


NON-SENSE  SCIENCE  AND  THE  BIBLE    57 

that  was  pleasant  to  the  sight  and  good  for  food  " 
springs  up,  might  have  a  tendency  to  crowd  quar- 
ters a  trifle.  But  in  the  long  run  the  esthetic  and 
practical  rewards  of  having  both  beauty  and  food 
so  convenient  might  easily  compensate  for  any  re- 
sulting discomfort. 

The  most  serious  difficulty,  from  the  standpoint 
of  Christian  Science,  arises  when  we  read  in  the 
twenty-third  verse  of  the  third  chapter:  "There- 
fore the  Lord  God  sent  him  forth  from  the  garden 
of  Eden  " — his  mortal,  material  body.  If  it  ,be 
true  that  way  back  there  in  the  very  beginning  of 
human  history  God  drove  Adam  forth  from  his 
mortal  and  material  body,  and  placed  flaming 
Cherubim  before  the  entrance  so  that  he  could 
never  again  return  to  inhabit  it,  then  the  amazing 
truth  dawns  upon  us  that  Adam  and  Eve  were  the 
only  mortals  who  ever  inhabited  a  mortal  and 
material  body,  and  they  only  for  a  short  period  be- 
fore the  birth  of  Cain.  So  that  the  rest  of  the 
sinning  race  of  Adam  cannot  possibly  have  fallen 
heir  to  its  ills.  And  the  whole  elaborate  theory  of 
Christian  Science  which  Is  built  up  around  this 
theory  of  the  mortal  and  material  body  collapses  at 
the  very  beginning  of  human  history. 

Another  delightfully  interesting  specimen  of 
non-sense  Interpretation  is  found  in  her  comment 
on  Genesis  2:  13,  which  verse  reads:  "And  the 
name  of  the  second  river  is  Gihon:  the  same  is  it 
that  compasseth  the  whole  land  of  Ethiopia."   Now 


58    THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

the  word  Gihon  means,  Mrs.  Eddy  says:  "  The 
rights  of  woman  acknowledged,  morally,  civilly, 
and  socially"  (p.  587).  Of  course,  in  the  orig- 
inal Hebrew  the  word  Gihon  does  not  mean  any- 
thing of  the  kind.  It  is  the  name  of  a  river.  But 
for  the  sake  of  argument  we  will  assume  that  it 
does,  and  see  what  this  meaning  produces.  Im- 
mediately the  student  of  political  science  finds  him- 
self wondering  why,  away  back  in  the  very  dawn 
of  human  history,  it  was  found  necessary  to  start 
this  agitation  for  woman's  rights.  For  at  the 
time  this  agitation  is  first  introduced  by  the  word 
Gihon,  woman  herself  has  not  yet  been  created. 
She  does  not  make  her  appearance  in  this  account 
of  creation  until  the  twenty-second  verse.  It 
does  impress  one  as  a  little  unnecessarily  prema- 
ture to  start  a  campaign  for  the  recognition 
of  woman's  rights  before  she  has  come  into  exist- 
ence. 

Adam  not  a  Man.  As  the  theology  of  Science 
and  Health  is  built  up  on  the  distinction  between 
Elohim  and  Jehovah,  so  its  anthropology  rests  upon 
the  distinction  between  Adam  and  Man.  As  has 
previously  been  stated,  man,  whose  creation  is  re- 
corded in  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis,  is  the  product 
of  Elohim,  the  true  God,  and  so  is  perfect  and 
eternal.  While  Adam,  whose  creation  is  recorded 
in  the  second  chapter  of  Genesis,  is  the  product  of 
Jehovah,  the  finite  deity,  and  so  is  "  error,  a 
falsity;  the  opposite  of  Spirit  and  His  creation" 


NON-SENSE  SCIENCE  AND  THE  BIBLE    69 

(p.  579f.).  This  distinction  is  fundamental.  Con- 
cerning it  Mrs.  Eddy  says : 

Anybody,  who  is  able  to  perceive  the  incongruity 
between  God's  idea  and  poor  humanity,  ought  to  be 
able  to  discern  the  distinction  (made  by  Christian 
Science)  between  God's  man,  made  in  His  image,  and 
the  sinning  race  of  Adam  [p.  345]. 

This  distinction  clears  up  the  puzzle  of  the  claim 
of  Christian  Science  that  man  cannot  sin,  be  sick 
or  die.  All  ridicule  of  this  claim  results  from  the 
mistaken  idea  that  the  two  words  Adam  and  man 
are  synonymous.  It  is  never  man,  but  always  the 
sinning  race  of  Adam,  or  *'  poor  humanity  '*  that 
sins,  is  sick,  suffers  pain,  and  dies.  It  is  only  by 
ringing  the  changes  on  this  distinction  between 
Adam  and  man  that  she  can  sustain  any  of  her 
claims  for  man's  immunity  from  the  many  ills  to 
which  flesh  is  heir.  Upon  this  point  Mrs.  Eddy 
says: 

I  regret  that  such  criticism  confounds  man  with 
Adam  [p.  346]. 

Here  again  let  us  adopt  Mrs.  Eddy's  suggestion 
and  turn  to  the  original  Hebrew  to  see  what  war- 
rant it  gives  for  regarding  man  and  Adam  as  two 
different  types  of  beings.  There  is  a  slight  excuse 
for  one,  who,  reading  simply  the  English  transla- 
tion of  these  two  chapters,  makes  such  a  blunder, 
for  the  two  apparently  different  words  occur.  But 
in  the  original  Hebrew  it  is  absolutely  impossible 
to  make  any  such  distinction.     For  the  word  for 


60    THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

man  in  the  first  chapter  and  the  word  for  Adam 
in  the   second  chapter  are   identically  the  same 
Hebrew  word — adam.     In  the  first  chapter,  and 
in  the  second  also,  down  to  the  nineteenth  verse, 
this  Hebrew  word  is  translated  into  its  English 
equivalent,    man.     In    the    rest    of    the    chapter 
wherever  this  ''  first  man  "  functions  as  a  distinct 
individual,  the  translators  felt  that  this  historic 
individuality  ought  to  be  brought  out  and  pre- 
served, so  they  adopted  the  practice  of  designating 
this  fact  through  the  simple  expedient  of  trans- 
literation.    Instead  of  translating  the  word  into 
its  English  equivalent,  man,  its  letters  are  trans- 
literated into  their  English  equivalents,  A-d-a-m, 
and  capitalized.     This  schem.e  of  the  translators 
is  solely  responsible  for  the  presence,  in  the  Eng- 
lish Bible,  of  the  two  different  words,  man  and 
Adam.     To  the  scholar  who   reads  the  original 
Hebrew  texts  they  do  not  exist.     For  he  finds  the 
word  adam  in  the  first  chapter,  the  spiritual  account 
of  creation,  just  exactly  the  same  as  he  does  in  the 
second  chapter.    Therefore,  if,  in  the  first  chapter, 
man  is  "  God's  idea,"  then,  in  the  second  chapter, 
Adam  is  also  "  God's  idea."    And  if,  in  the  second 
chapter,  Adam  is  "  error,  a  falsity,"  then,  in  the 
first  chapter,  man  is  also  "  error,  a  falsity."     For 
there  is  no  getting  away  from  the  fact  that,  in  the 
Hebrew,  the  word  is  exactly  the  same  in  each  in- 
stance. 

As  in  the  early  editions.  Lord  and  lord  were 


NON-SENSE  SCIENCE  AND  THE  BIBLE    61 

made  the  same  words,  and  called  honorary  titles 
of  man,  so  also  in  the  early  editions  Adam  passes 
through  something  of  the  same  experience.  For 
example,  in  the  second  edition  (p.  146),  Mrs. 
Eddy  says: 

Adam  is  from  the  Latin,  demens  meaning  "  mad- 
ness." *  *  *  And  the  word  should  have  been 
written,  as  it  was  originally  rendered,  "A  damn." 
The  Scripture  plainly  declares  Adam  accursed. 

This  absurd  derivation  revealed  such  palpable 
ignorance  of  both  Latin  and  Hebrew  that  it  did  not 
long  survive  the  light  of  day.  With  the  arrival  of 
Rev.  James  Henry  Wiggin,  and  his  knowledge  of 
Hebrew,  here  also  we  find  a  new  derivation  for 
Adam.  In  the  sixteenth  and  following  editions 
we  read  the  now  familiar  words: 

The  word  Adam  is  from  the  Hebrew  Adamah, 
signifying  the  red  colour  of  the  ground,  dust,  noth- 
ingness [p.  338]. 

Had  the  writer  been  content  to  stop  with  the 
word  "  red,"  and  not  attempted  to  push  this  deriva- 
tion into  "  nothingness  "—a  Christian  Science 
idea — it  would  stand.  With  this  new  derivation 
there  also  follows  a  new  rendering  of  the  word 
itself.  We  are  not  longer  urged  to  write  the  word 
"A  damn,"  but  this  more  refined  suggestion  is 
given : 

Divide  the  name  Adam  into  two  syllables  and  it 
reads,  a  dam,  or  obstruction.  *  *  *  n^re  a  dam 
is  not  a  mere  play  upon  words ;  It  stands  for  obstruc- 


62    THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

tion,  error,   even  the  supposed  separation  of   man 
from  God  [p.  338]. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  Mrs.  Eddy's  friends  will 
not  insist  in  holding  her  responsible  for  the  Hebrew 
exegesis  found  in  Science  and  Health.  For  who- 
ever worked  out  the  contrasts  between  Elohim  and 
Jehovah,  and  Man  and  Adam,  withheld  more 
knowledge  of  Hebrew  than  was  disclosed ;  and  the 
knowledge  withheld,  if  honestly  revealed,  would 
have  forever  put  an  end  to  the  two  pretty  theories 
of  Christian  Science  which  have  been  floated  upon 
the  general  public's  ignorance  of  this  true  meaning. 
This  brings  our  study  of  the  Old  Testament  to  a 
close. 

The  Little  Book  of  Revelation  2:  i,  2,  is  Pro- 
nounced the  Truth  of  Christian  Science  as  Found 
in  Science  and  Health.  From  Genesis  4:16,  the 
Key  to  the  Scriptures  jumps  to  Revelation  10,  then 
12,  then  21.  This  makes  up  the  total  amount  of 
New  Testament  material  to  be  found  in  the  famous 
Key  to  the  Scriptures.  When  we  realize  that 
her  discovery  is  called  "  Christian  Science,"  it 
strikes  one  as  somewhat  remarkable  that  the  Gos- 
pels, The  Acts,  the  Epistles  should  all  be  left  out. 
Especially  when  we  remember  that  "  none  may 
pick  the  lock,"  without  the  key  of  Divine  Science. 
The  truth  is  that  even  these  few  stray  passages 
from  Revelation  had  a  very  belated  acceptance. 
For  it  is  not  until  the  issue  of  the  now  famous 
sixteenth  edition,  and  the  advent  of  Rev.  James 


NON-SENSE  SCIENCE  AND  THE  BIBLE    63 

Henry  Wiggin,  that  their  significance  for  Chris- 
tian Science  begins  gradually  to  be  recognized. 

Let  us  now  look  at  the  clever  attempt  which  is 
made  to  appropriate  these  passages  for  the  benefit 
of  Christian  Science.  Quoting  Revelation  10 : 1,  2, 
in  which  are  these  words:  "And  I  saw  another 
mighty  angel  come  down  from  heaven,  *  *  * 
and  he  had  in  his  hand  a  little  book  open/*  Mrs. 
Eddy  says: 

This  angel  had  in  his  hand  "  a  little  book,"  open 
for  all  to  read  and  understand.  Did  this  same  book 
contain  the  revelation  of  divine  Science?  *  *  * 
Mortals,  obey  the  heavenly  evangel.  Take  divine 
Science.  Read  this  book  from  beginning  to  end. 
Study  it,  ponder  it  [p.  559]. 

The  greatest  objection  in  the  way  of  obeying 
this  command  of  Mrs.  Eddy  lies  in  the  fact  that 
this  particular  "  little  book  "  was  not  made  to  be 
read,  but  to  be  eaten.  And  that,  not  by  all,  but 
solely  for  the  consumption  of  the  writer  of  the 
book  of  Revelation.  For  in  the  ninth  and  tenth 
verses  the  writer  says:  "  I  went  unto  the  angel 
and  said  unto  him,  Give  me  the  little  book.  And 
he  said  unto  me,  Take  it  and  eat  it  up.  *  *  * 
And  I  took  the  little  book  out  of  the  angel's  hand, 
and  ate  it  up."  Thus  endeth  the  short  career  of 
this  little  book.  If  it  did  "  contain  the  revelation 
of  divine  Science,"  then  the  writer  of  the  book  of 
Revelation  was  the  first  person  who  literally 
swallowed  this  kind  of  teaching,  and  his  subse- 


64   THE  NON-SENSE  OP  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

quent  prophecies  should  give  some  evidence  of  its 
presence.  Yet  one  can  search  the  remaining  chap- 
ters of  this  book  and  never  find  a  single  hint  of 
Mrs.  Eddy's  fundamental  teaching.  It  is  certain 
that  she  did  not  get  her  "  revelation  "  from  this 
little  book;  for  already  more  than  twenty  editions 
of  her  **  revelation "  had  been  pubHshed  before 
even  she  discovered  that  it  contained  the  revelation 
of  divine  Science. 

In  the  same  manner  the  claim  that  the  "  woman 
clothed  with  the  sun''  (Rev.  12:  1)  typifies  Mrs. 
Eddy,  or  the  one  "  whom  God  has  appointed  to 
voice  His  word,"  falls  to  the  ground  when  we 
read  the  second  verse  of  this  chapter.  It  reads: 
"  She  being  with  child  cried,  travailing  in  birth, 
and  pained  to  be  delivered."  Now  any  one  at  all 
familiar  with  Christian  Science  knows  that  the 
very  first  boon  it  promises  to  motherhood  is  pain- 
less child-birth.  It  is  inconceivable,  therefore, 
that  any  passage  which  so  grossly  misrepresents 
the  truth  of  Christian  Science  as  to  imply  that, 
within  its  realm,  mothers  ever  have  cause  to  cry 
out  in  child-birth,  and  are  in  pain  to  be  delivered, 
can  be  held,  even  remotely,  to  convey  the  truth  of 
Christian  Science. 

This  brings  to  a  close  the  first  part  of  our  study 
of  that  revelation  of  Divine  Science  which  Mrs. 
Eddy  has  informed  us  is  "  always  right "  and  in 
which  "  there  is  neither  place  nor  opportunity  for 
error  of  any  sort."     Our  faith  in  Mrs.  Eddy*& 


NON-SENSE  SCIENCE  AND  THE  BIBLE    65 

claim  to  hold  in  her  exclusive  possession  the  real 
key  to  the  Scriptures  has  suffered  a  severe  wrench. 
For  v^e  now  know  too  much  about  the  character 
of  the  truth  which  this  key  unlocks.  Not  one 
passage  of  Scripture  which  we  have  studied,  as 
interpreted  by  Mrs.  Eddy,  correctly  presents  the 
plain  and  natural  meaning  of  the  author's  words. 
And  what  is  true  up  to  the  present  time  will  be 
found  equally  true  of  every  passage  in  Science  and 
Health.  This  may  seem  like  a  sweeping  general- 
ization, but  a  careful  and  detailed  study  of  these 
passages  will  confirm  it.  There  is  nothing  in  the 
whole  history  of  Biblical  exegesis  which  can  quite 
parallel  this  consistent  misinterpretation.  The 
little  ruse  of  attempting  to  throw  the  responsibility 
for  this  strange  interpretation  back  upon  the 
"  original  texts  "  has  resulted  in  more  clearly  ex- 
posing her  deeply  plotted  scheme  of  treachery  to 
the  very  Bible  she  claims  to  honour. 

What  Mrs.  Eddy  is  endeavouring  to  gain  through 
her  oft-asserted  loyalty  to  the  Bible  now  becomes 
apparent.  She  is  not  in  the  least  interested  in 
teaching  the  truth  of  Scripture,  but  she  is  mightily 
interested  in  trying  to  make  the  Scripture  teach  the 
truth  of  Christian  Science.  Now,  any  one  familiar 
with  both  Scripture  and  Science  and  Health, 
knows  that,  when  correctly  interpreted,  Scripture 
can  never  be  made  to  support  such  teaching.  Mrs. 
Eddy  realized  this  fact  far  better  than  any  one  else. 
It  is  for  this  reason  she  adopted  her  duplex  policy 


66    THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

toward  the  Bible.  At  the  same  time  that  she 
stealthily  robs  Scripture  of  its  true  meaning  by  her 
confusing  use  of  non-sense  language,  and  inner  or 
spiritual  interpretation,  she  keeps  asserting  her 
loyalty  to  the  Bible.  This  scheme  produces  two 
results:  First,  it  disarms  suspicion;  second,  it 
enables  her  to  appropriate,  unimpaired,  the  su- 
preme authority  of  the  Bible  as  the  Word  of  God 
for  the  exclusive  support  of  her  non-sense  science. 

One  would  naturally  suppose  that  such  duplicity, 
so  poorly  concealed,  would  speedily  be  discovered 
and  exposed.  It  has  survived  to  the  present  time 
simply  because  the  few  who  know  Science  and 
Health  are  not  interested  in  exposing  it,  and  those 
who  would  be  interested  in  exposing  it  do  not 
know  Science  and  Health.  As  for  the  rank  and 
file  of  sincere,  but  uninformed.  Christian  Scien- 
tists, if  Mrs.  Eddy  is  able  to  persuade  them  to  be- 
lieve that  the  "  things  "  of  this  material  world  are 
only  "  thoughts,"  she  can  also  persuade  them  to 
believe  that  the  Bible,  like  nature,  does  not  mean 
what  it  says,  but  just  the  opposite.  The  principle 
is  identical  in  each  case.  For  in  a  non-sense  world 
everything  works  by  opposites,  and  the  truth  of 
the  Bible  is  no  exception. 

To  establish  its  fundamental  teaching,  Chris- 
tian Science  has  been  forced  to  change  our  world 
into  a  non-sense  world,  and  our  Bible  into  a  non- 
sense book.  What  it  does  to  our  Christianity  the 
next  chapter  will  reveal. 


Ill 

NON-SENSE    CHRISTIANITY 

IN  a  little  book  entitled,  "  No  and  Yes,"  Mrs. 
Eddy  remarks:  "The  two  largest  words  in 
the  vocabulary  of  thought  are  '  Christian ' 
and  '  Science.'  "  This  observation  discloses  the 
motive  which  must  have  inspired  the  shrewd  policy 
of  placing  this  system  of  non-sense  science  under 
the  protecting  wings  of  these  two  mighty  words. 
Having  already  learned  the  one  qualifying  fea- 
ture— non-sense — which  alone  justifies  its  asso- 
ciation with  the  word  science,  we  will  now  proceed 
to  investigate  its  right  to  the  protection  of  the 
word  Christian. 

Here  also  it  will  be  necessary  to  prepare  for  just 
as  radical  a  change  in  the  nature  of  Christianity  as 
has  already  been  encountered  in  the  character  of 
the  universe  and  of  the  Bible.  For,  if  Christianity 
is  to  have  any  place  in  a  science  which  turns  our 
world  into  a  non-sense  world,  and  our  Bible  into  a 
non-sense  book,  it  will  have  to  be  transformed  into 
non-sense  Christianity.  This  profound  and  radical 
change  Mrs.  Eddy  does  not  hesitate  to  make.  Yet 
she  introduces  it  with  such  astute  and  deceptive 
skill  that  the  great  majority  of  people,  Christian 
Scientists  as  well  as  others,  have  no  idea  that  this 

67 


68    THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

change  has  been  effected.  As  in  her  treatment  of 
the  Bible,  so  here,  she  attempts  to  allay  all  suspicion 
by  vigorously  proclaiming  her  steadfast  allegiance 
to  the  very  Christianity  she  is  about  to  undermine. 
Her  method  is  calculated  to  deceive  the  very  elect. 
Artfully  she  scatters  through  her  works  such  ex- 
pressions of  loyalty  as  these: 

I  therefore  plant  myself  unreservedly  on  the 
teachings  of  Jesus,  of  his  apostles,  of  the  prophets, 
and  on  the  testimony  of  the  Science  of  Mind.  Other 
foundations  there  are  none  [p.  269]. 

Christian  Science  is  the  pure  evangelic  truth 
[R.  and  L,  p.  89]. 

Surely  after  having  frequently  encountered  such 
reassuring  expressions  of  loyalty,  the  unsuspecting 
may  be  pardoned  for  assuming,  without  further 
question,  that  Christian  Science  is  sincerely  and 
genuinely  Christian.  But  those  who  know  Mrs. 
Eddy,  her  use  of  non-sense  language,  and  her  un- 
varying campaign  strategy,  are  never  deceived  by 
such  tactics.  They  immediately  scent  trouble.  It 
is  not  too  much  to  say  that,  to  those  who  under- 
stand her,  these  constantly  recurring  affirmations 
of  loyalty  are  like  a  barrage  sent  over  by  the 
enemy;  they  serve  as  a  timely  warning  that  an 
attack  is  about  to  follow.  This  preliminary  strat- 
egy, therefore,  is  practically  disregarded  in  pre- 
paring to  meet  the  real  attack. 

The  place  upon  which  to  concentrate  our  atten- 
tion then  is,   not  these  isolated  statements,  but 


NON-SENSE  CHRISTIANITY  69 

upon  the  fundamental  and  indisputable  teaching 
of  Christian  Science  concerning  the  essential  ele- 
ments of  the  historic  Christian  faith.  By  adopt- 
ing this  method  Christian  Science  is  given  a  fair 
chance  to  present  its  teaching,  and  the  truth  is 
destined  to  come  out.  With  an  air  of  injured 
innocence,  Mrs.  Eddy  asks:  "Why  do  those 
who  profess  to  follow  Christ,  reject  the  essential 
religion  he  came  to  establish?"  (P.  27.)  If  by 
this  question  she  intends  to  imply  that  Christian 
Science  is  that  "  essential  religion,"  we  will 
endeavour  to  give  a  few  reasons  why  those  who 
follow  Jesus  Christ  are  compelled  to  reject 
Christian  Science, 

In  the  progress  of  our  study  it  will  be  noted 
that  none  of  the  questions  involved  in  the  dif- 
ferences of  opinion  between  the  older  and  the 
modern  point  of  view  are  raised.  This  is  be- 
cause none  of  these  questions  affect  in  the  slightest 
degree  the  fundamental  difference  between  historic 
Christianity  and  Christian  Science.  The  accept- 
ance of  neither  the  modem  nor  the  conservative 
position  reduces  at  any  point  the  contrast.  For, 
when  thoroughly  understood,  Christian  Science 
differs  as  radically  from  the  most  advanced,  as 
from  the  most  unyielding  conservative  theological 
and  Biblical  positions.  For  this  reason  all  the 
various  shades  of  belief  which  fall  between  these 
two  extremes  count  for  nothing. 

The  God  of  Non-Sense  Christianity,     Christian 


70    THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

Scientists  are  very  religious.  They  have  the  name 
of  God  constantly  upon  their  lips.  Such  phrases 
as,  "  God  is  All-in-all,"  "  God  is  good,"  "  We  rely 
only  upon  God,"  "  God  is  the  only  Healer,"  "  God 
is  Love,"  and  the  like,  are  their  conversational 
stock  in  trade.  Setting  the  example,  Mrs.  Eddy 
remarks:  "Christian  Science  does  honour  God  as 
no  other  theory  honours  Him"  (p.  483).  Such 
familiar  use  of  the  word  God  touches  elemental 
religious  instincts  and  has  a  tendency  to  establish 
the  undoubted  spiritual  character  of  this  religion 
in  the  minds  of  those  who  are  easily  captured  by 
words  and  phrases.  Those,  however,  who  have 
learned  to  understand  the  non-sense  language  in 
which  Science  and  Health  is  written  have  acquired 
the  fixed  habit  of  holding  up  every  important  word 
used,  and  demanding  its  exact  meaning.  In  no 
instance  is  this  more  necessary  than  when  Mrs. 
Eddy  is  using  the  word  God,  for  ''  there  be  gods 
many.** 

To  get  at  the  heart  of  this  subject,  it  is  necessary 
to  ascertain  what  kind  of  God  Christian  Science 
has.  A  little  diligent  digging  unearths  this  unex- 
pected fact:  The  God  of  Christian  Science  has 
nothing  whatever  in  common  with  the  God  of  the 
Bible  or  of  historic  Christianity.  It  does  not  take 
a  theologian  to  detect  this  truth.  Here  Is  a  general 
proof.  The  religion  of  the  Bible  is  theism,  and 
Christianity  is  distinctly  a  thelstic  religion.  No 
scholar  would  think  of  denying  this   statement. 


NON-SENSE  CHRISTIANITY  71 

Now  theism  contains  three  essential  elements,  the 
personality  of  God,  the  personality  of  man,  and 
both  the  possibility  and  reality  of  communion  be- 
tween these  two  personalities.  Christian  Science 
categorically  denies  all  three  of  these  fundamental 
postulates  of  theism.  It  denies  the  personality  of 
God,  the  personality  of  man,  and  all  possibility  o£ 
personal  communion  between  its  God  and  mortal 
man.     Mrs.  Eddy  says: 

A  personal  God,  a  personal  man,  a  personal  devil 
*  *  *  are  theological  mythoplasms,  mere  beliefs 
that  must  finally  yield  to  the  opposite  science  of  God 
and  man  [2nd  ed.,  p.  145]. 

Just  what  the  nature  of  that  **  opposite  science 
of  God  "  really  is,  we  shall  now  ferret  out.  Under 
Questions  and  Answers,  we  read : 

Question. — What  is  God? 

Answer. — God  is  incorporeal,  divine,  supreme,  in- 
finite Mind,  Spirit,  Soul,  Principle,  Life,  Truth, 
Love. 

Question. — Are  these  terms  synonymous? 

Answer. — They  are  [p.  465]. 

The  first  point  which  impresses  one  in  examin- 
ing this  definition  of  God  is,  notwithstanding  the 
large  number  of  words  included,  the  one  word, 
most  frequently  on  the  lips  of  Jesus — Father — is 
not  among  them.  The  reason  for  this  striking 
omission  from  a  supposed  Christian  definition  of 
God  lies  In  the  fact  that  the  word  Father  is  too 
strongly  impregnated  with  the  idea  of  personality. 


72   THE  NONSENSE  OF  OHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

^  *rhe  second  and  most  interesting  point  is  the  per- 
fect circle  which  is  described  by  this  definition. 
Should  any  one  seriously  desire  to  obtain  a  clear 
idea  of  the  real  content  of  any  of  the  words  herein 
used,  this  is  the  circle  their  answers  would  force 
you  to  follow:  What  is  God?  God  is  Mind. 
What  is  Mind?  Mind  is  Spirit.  What  is  Spirit? 
Spirit  is  Soul.  What  is  Soul?  Soul  is  Principle. 
What  is  Principle?  Principle  is  Life.  What  is 
Life?  Life  is  Truth.  What  is  Truth?  Truth  is 
Love.  What  is  Love?  Love  is  God.  Of  course 
you  are  supposed  to  get  intellectually  dizzy  and  fall 
off  long  before  you  get  around  to  the  last  word, 
and  this  is  what  universally  happens.  But  if  you 
should  be  an  exceptionally  good  rider  and  able 
to  stick  on  to  the  end,  you  would  discover  that  you 
at  last  arrive  at  the  very  place  you  started  and  have 
gotten  nowhere.  If  you  have  a  childish  mind  and 
enjoy  the  merry-go-round  sensation,  you  are  satis- 
fied. If  you  want  to  get  somewhere  in  your  think- 
ing, you  are  not. 

Just  so  long  as  Christian  Science  is  allowed  to 
keep  these  undefined  terms  chasing  one  another 
around,  like  wild  horses,  unbroken  to  control,  and 
able  to  unseat  most  riders  after  a  short  run,  things 
go  along  smoothly.  For  taking  a  try  at  the  sport 
furnishes  primitive  intellectual  diversion  for  some 
untrained  minds,  and  gives  them  a  few  novel  psy- 
chological thrills.  The  trained  scholar,  however, 
whose  life  business  has  made  this  work  an  old 


NON-SEJSrSE  CHEISTIANITY  73 

story,  has  no  difficulty  in  dealing  with  these  frac- 
tious terms.  Notwithstanding  Mrs.  Eddy  never 
intended  any  one  of  them  to  be  captured  and 
broken  to  work  steadily  in  sense-language  harness, 
the  scholar  fearlessly  goes  out  into  the  group  and 
makes  the  leading  term  his  prize.  This  controlling 
word,  which  is  the  determining  factor  in  the  char- 
acter of  the  Christian  Science  God,  and  of  which 
all  the  others  are  but  synonyms,  is  Principle.  In 
No  and  Yes  Mrs.  Eddy  says: 

When  understood,  Principle  is  found  to  be  the 
only  term  that  fully  conveys  the  ideas  of  God  [p.  20]. 

Properly  to  understand  this  word  Principle 
when  used  in  Christian  Science  for  God,  it  must 
always  be  thought  of  as  strictly  opposed  to  the 
idea  of  Personality.  For  God  is  not  a  person,  God 
is  principle.  This  distinction  is  fundamental  in 
Christian  Science  theology.  Mrs.  Eddy  brings  it 
out  in  these  passages : 

God  is  Mind,  He  is  Divine  Principle,  not  person 
[20th  ed.,  p.  377]. 

A  better  understanding  of  God  as  divine  Principle, 
Love,  rather  than  personality  *  *  *  jg  required 
[P-  473]. 

It  is  just  possible  that  some  one  may  at  this 
point  have  his  attention  called  to  a  few  isolated 
passages  in  Science  and  Health  where  Mrs.  Eddy 
seems  to  refer  to  God  as  a  person,  and  where  she 
uses  the  term  Father.  These  may  at  first  sight 
tend  to  disprove  the  above.     It  is  true  that  such 


74    THE  NON-BENSE  OF  CHBISTIAN  SCIENCE 

passages  can  be  found  in  Science  and  Health. 
They  are  very  few,  and  are  thrown  in  as  hazards 
to  assist  in  intellectually  unseating  any  one  who 
may  have  shown  enough  sticking  power  to  ride  her 
idea  of  God — Principle — to  the  dangerous  point  of 
understanding  it.  If  any  of  these  passages  are 
carefully  studied  it  will  be  seen  that,  just  as  soon 
as  they  have  served  their  purpose  in  unseating  the 
adventurer  and  properly  disposing  of  him,  they  are 
so  modified  that  the  faithful  are  gently  led  back 
to  the  correct  idea  of  God — Principle.  We  will 
insert  a  typical  illustration  of  each  case: 

The  world  believes  in  many  persons,  but  if  God  is 
personal,  there  is  but  one  person,  because  there  is 
but  one  God.  His  personality  can  only  be  reflected, 
not  transmitted.  *  *  *  The  only  proper  symbol 
of  God  as  person  is  Mind's  infinite  ideal  [p.  517]. 

Jesus  *  *  *  could  demonstrate  the  Science 
of  Love,  His  Father,  or  divine  Principle  [p.  30]. 

Having  now^  learned  that  the  Christian  Science 
God  is  Principle,  and  not  a  person,  the  question 
naturally  arises  what  Is  the  relationship  which  ex- 
ists between  the  individual  and  this  kind  of  God; 
and  in  what  terms  are  worship  and  devotion  to 
express  themselves?  In  Christianity  the  relation 
between  God  and  man  is  best  represented  by  that 
of  father  and  child,  or  personal  relation.  It  ex- 
presses itself  most  naturally  and  elementally  in 
the  act  of  prayer,  or  talking  with  God.  In  Chris- 
tian Science  this  relation  and  this  act  are  impos- 


NON-SENSE  CHRISTIANITY  76 

sible,  for  neither  Principle  nor  idea  are  conversa- 
tionalists. Mrs.  Eddy  fittingly  devotes  the  first 
chapter  of  her  text-book  to  the  task  of  correcting 
this  misunderstanding  of  God.  Audible  prayer 
and  petition,  asking  God,  as  a  person,  for  things, 
is  but  a  waste  of  time  and  words.  Particularly  is 
this  the  case  when  prayer  takes  on  the  form  of 
pleading  with  God  to  heal  the  sick.  Real  Chris- 
tian Scientists  are  never  guilty  of  this  inconsistent 
folly.  This  is  a  very  important  point  to  have 
clearly  in  mind,  for  it  is  not  generally  understood, 
even  by  Christian  Scientists.  Mrs.  Eddy  uses  this 
illustration  to  bring  it  out: 

Who  would  stand  before  a  blackboard,  and  pray 
the  principle  of  mathematics  to  -solve  the  problem? 
The  rule  is  already  established,  and  it  is  our  task  to 
work  out  the  solution.  Shall  we  ask  the  divine 
Principle  of  all  goodness  to  do  His  own  work  ?  His 
work  is  done,  and  we  have  only  to  avail  ourselves  of 
God's  rule  in  order  to  receive  His  blessing,  which 
enables  us  to  work  out  our  own  salvation  [p.  3]. 

Our  picture  now  is  sufficiently  complete.  The 
God  of  Christian  Science  is  Principle,  not  a  per- 
son. This  Principle  is  best  likened  to  the  principle 
of  mathematics  by  which  the  solution  of  a  problem 
IS  worked  out.  This  abstract  principle,  whose 
**  work  is  done,"  is  powerless  to  assist  us  in  arriv- 
ing at  the  solution,  or  working  out  our  own  salva- 
tion, for  "  His  work  is  done." 

The  Christ  of  Non-Sense  Christianity,     What- 


76    THE  NON-SEKSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

ever  foundation  there  may  have  been  for  a  Nicene 
controversy  concerning  the  respective  natures  of 
the  God  and  the  Christ  of  historic  Christianity,  no 
such  controversy  could  possibly  arise  in  Christian 
Science  theology,  for  its  God  and  its  Christ  are  in- 
disputably of  one  and  the  same  nature.  The 
Christ  of  Christian  Science,  like  its  God,  is  not  a 
person.  It  is  a  blunder  of  unpardonable  ignorance 
to  think  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  the  Christ  of 
Christian  Science.  He  is  the  Christ  of  historic 
Christianity,  the  second  dispensation,  not  of  Chris- 
tian Science,  the  third.  Failure  to  understand  this 
fundamental  fact  is  failure  to  understand  Chris- 
tian Science.  Until  of  late,  this  is  the  v/ay  Mrs. 
Eddy  in  her  Glossary  defined  Christ:  "Divine 
Principle,  not  person  "  (20th  ed.,  p.  530).  In  the 
very  latest  edition,  1918,  we  find  this  explanation: 

Yearning  to  be  understood  the  Master  repeated, 
"  But  whom  say  ye  that  I  am  ?  "  This  renewed  in- 
quiry meant:  Who  or  what  is  it  that  is  able  to  do 
the  work,  so  mysterious  to  the  popular  mind? 
*  *  *  With  his  usual  impetuosity,  Simon  replied 
for  his  brethren,  and  his  reply  set  forth  a  great  fact: 
"  Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God ! " 
That  is:  The  Messiah  is  what  thou  hast  declared, — 
Christ,  the  spirit  of  God,  of  Truth,  Life,  and  Love, 
which  heals  mentally  [p.  137]. 

There  is  no  excuse  for  misunderstanding  this 
statement.  The  key  to  its  meaning  is  found  in  the 
skillfully  introduced  shift  from  the  word  "  who  " 
to  the  word  "  what.**     No  meaningless  tautology 


NON-SENSE  CHEISTIANITY  77 

leads  her  to  introduce  that  second  pronoun, 
"  what,"  into  the  sentence,  "  Who  or  what  is  it  that 
is  able  to  do  the  work  so  mysterious  to  the  popu- 
lar mind/'  This  is  her  deHcate  way  of  gradually 
drawing  the  mind  away  from  the  idea  of  Christ 
as  a  person,  to  Christ  as  a  principle.  In  the  very 
next  paragraph  she  adds :  "  The  Messiah  is  what 
thou  hast  declared"  (the  italics  are  the  writer's). 
When  this  indisputable  fact  is  clearly  recognized, 
the  frequent  recurrence  of  the  word  Christ — 
Truth — in  Science  and  Health,  and  also  upon  the 
lips  of  Christian  Scientists,  takes  on  an  entirely 
different  character.  For  when  Christian  Scien- 
tists talk  about  Christ  as  our  Saviour,  they  are  not 
referring  to  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  but  to  the  "  Truth 
which  heals  mentally ; "  not  to  a  person,  but  to  a 
principle.  This  introduces  another  irreconcilable 
difference  between  Christian  Science  and  historic 
Christianity. 

The  Trinity  of  Non-Sense  Christianity.  It  fol- 
lows now  from  the  very  nature  of  things  that 
Christian  Science  cannot  have  a  personal  Trinity. 
Every  time  the  chance  presents  itself  Mrs.  Eddy 
takes  a  whack  at  this  doctrine.  Here  are  two 
typical  instances: 

According  to  false  philosophy  and  scholastic  the- 
olog>^  God  is  three  persons  in  one  [No  and  Yes, 
p.  24]. 

The  theory  of  three  persons  in  one  God  (that  is,  a 
personal  Trinity  or  Tri-unity)  suggests  polytheism 
[p.  256]. 


78    THE  NON-SENBE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

Christian  Science  therefore  voluntarily  separates 
itself  from  that  great  group  of  Christian  churches 
which  accept  the  Trinitarian  faith.  Yet  notwith- 
standing this  hostility  to  the  idea  of  a  personal 
Trinity,  Mrs.  Eddy,  with  her  mifailing  instinct 
for  detecting  elemental  religious  values,  is  not  quite 
willing  to  abandon  the  idea  of  trinity.  So  with 
her  inexhaustible  resourcefulness  she  proceeds  to 
form  a  trinity  to  suit  her  own  system.  It  is  com- 
posed as  follows: 

This  rule  clearly  interprets  God  as  divine  Prin- 
ciple,— as  Life,  represented  by  the  Father;  as  Truth, 
represented  by  the  Son;  as  Love  represented  by  the 
Mother  [p.  568f.]. 

At  first  sight  this  statement  would  seem  to  pre- 
serve the  idea  of  three  persons  in  this  Christian 
Science  trinity.  But  when  the  word  Father  is 
understood  to  mean  Principle,  and  the  word  Son, 
Truth,  or  the  idea,  that  heals  mentally,  there  re- 
mains but  one  unknown  term  in  the  trio — Mother. 
To  the  uninitiated  this  word  may  seem  somewhat 
vague  and  mysterious.  To  the  Christian  Scien- 
tist it  has  but  one  clear  and  certain  reference: 

The  impersonation  of  the  spiritual  idea  had  a  brief 
history  in  the  earthly  life  of  our  Master  *  *  *. 
This  immaculate  idea,  represented  first  by  man  and 
according  to  the  Revelator,  last  by  woman,  will  bap- 
tize with  fire  [p.  565]. 

In  still  another  passage  we  read: 

Tke  Revelator  saw  also  the  spiritual  ideal  as  a 


NON-SEJSFSE  CHEISTIANITY  79 

woman  clothed  in  light,  a  bride  coming  down  from 
heaven,  wedded  to  the  Lamb  of  Love  [p.  561]. 

As  skillfully  worked  out  in  the  idea  they  hope  to 
convey  as  these  passages  are,  still  Mrs.  Eddy  is 
not  content  to  let  them  interpret  themselves.  She 
assists  their  proper  interpretation  in  various  ways. 
In  the  early  nineties  she  published  an  illustrated 
poem  entitled,  Christ  and  Christmas.  One  of  the 
pictures  represents  Jesus  sitting,  while  standing 
by  His  side  holding  His  right  hand  is  a  woman 
closely  resembling  Mrs.  Eddy,  with  a  scroll  in  her 
hand  upon  which  appears  the  words,  Christian 
Science.  The  light  which  is  streaming  down  from 
an  open  heaven,  envelops  them  both  alike,  and 
there  is  to  be  seen  a  halo  hovering  about  each  head. 
And  these  words  explain  the  picture: 

As  in  blest  Palestina's  hour 

So  in  our  age 
'Tis  the  same  hand  unfolds  His  Power 

And  writes  the  page  [ed.  1903]. 

Supplementing  this  in  her  autobiography,  she 
writes : 

Thus  it  was  when  the  moment  arrived  of  the 
heart's  bridal  to  more  spiritual  existence.  When 
the  door  opened,  I  was  waiting  and  watching;  and 
lo!  the  bridegroom  came!  [R.  and  L,  p.  36]. 

During  a  Christian  Science  fair  held  in  Boston 
in  1888,  when  at  a  late  hour  Mrs.  Eddy  made  her 
appearance,  the  orchestra  struck  up  Mendelssohn's 
Wedding  March,  "  to  symbolize,"  so  the  Journal 


80   THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

explains,  Mrs.  Eddy's  "  indissoluble  union  with 
Truth."  [See  Milmine,  Life  of  Mary  Baker  G. 
Eddy,  p.  379.] 

Is  it  possible  for  us  to  close  our  eyes  to  the  pur- 
port  of  these  words;  "As  in  blest  Palestina's  hour 
so  in  our  age  "  ?  And  to  the  idea  which  is  evolv- 
ing from  the  use  of  this  suggestive  word, 
**  Mother,"  as  the  third  member  of  the  Christian 
Science  trinity  ?  The  logical  and  inevitable  flower- 
ing of  the  idea  there  budding,  when  it  bursts  full- 
blossomed  on  the  thorny  stem  of  time,  will  be  the 
deification  and  worship  of  Mrs.  Eddy.  The  rapid 
strides  which  have  been  made,  since  her  death,  to- 
ward the  realization  of  this  goal  are  prophetic. 
Much  of  the  old  practice  of  camouflaging  this  idea 
has  been  abandoned,  and  greater  boldness  is  mani- 
fested in  pressing  the  recognition  of  Mrs.  Eddy's 
divinity.  Proselyters  unhesitatingly  assert  that 
she  was  divinely  inspired,  healers  inform  obdurate 
patients  that  they  cannot  expect  to  be  healed  unless 
they  properly  love  Mrs.  Eddy,  and  authorized  lec- 
turers, whose  duty  it  is  in  each  lecture  to  bear 
fitting  testimony  to  Mrs.  Eddy,  astutely  announce 
that  she  is  divine. 

After  having  taken  the  trouble  to  familiarize 
one's  self  with  the  easily  obtainable  and  well 
authenticated  facts  of  the  life  of  this  thrice  mar- 
ried, once  divorced,  perpetually  suing  or  being 
sued,  avaricious,  petulant,  and  altogether  very 
human  woman,  the  thought  of  exalting  her  to  a 


KON-SENSE  CHRISTIANITY  81 

position  above  that  of  Jesus,  and  of  worshiping  her 
as  divine,  surpasses  the  outsider's  comprehension. 
Yet  this  feature  of  Christian  Science  is  the  very- 
heart  of  its  religion.  Eliminate  it  and  the  Chris- 
tian Science  Church  will  die  to-morrow. 

The  Holy  Ghost  of  Non-Sense  Christianity. 
Although,  as  we  have  seen,  the  stern  necessity  of 
the  situation  has  forced  non-sense  Christianity  to 
retire  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  the  third  member  of  the 
Trinity,  and  substitute  "  Mother ''  in  His  place, 
still  the  Holy  Ghost  is  not  entirely  forgotten. 
Mrs.  Eddy  does  her  best  to  compensate  Him  for 
this  loss.  She  forthwith  changes  His  nature  and 
then  bestows  upon  Him  the  highest  yet  unoccupied 
position  in  her  hierarchy.  Thus  it  is  that  the 
Holy  Ghost  of  the  apostolic  age  becomes  the  Di- 
vine Science  of  the  nineteenth  and  twentieth  cen- 
turies. (See  Glossary,  p.  588.)  To  prove  that 
Divine  Science  is  the  Holy  Ghost,  she  quotes  the 
promise  of  Jesus  to  His  disciples:  "  He  shall  give 
you  another  Comforter,  that  he  may  abide  with 
you  forever,"  and  then  adds:  "This  Comforter  I 
understand  to  be  divine  Science"  (p.  55).  From 
this  promise  she  takes  us  to  its  fulfillment  on  the 
Day  of  Pentecost  and  states: 

His  students  then  received  the  Holy  Ghost.  By 
this  is  meant,  that  by  all  they  had  witnessed  and  suf- 
fered, they  were  roused  to  an  enlarged  understand- 
ing of  divine  Science.  *  *  *  jhe  influx  of  light 
was  sudden.  It  was  sometimes  an  overwhelming 
power  as  on  the  Day  of  Pentecost  [p.  46f.]. 


82    THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

There  can  be  no  excuse  for  misunderstanding 
the  clear  teaching  of  Christian  Science  upon  this 
point.  The  Holy  Ghost  which  Jesus  promised 
and  whom  the  apostles  received  on  the  Day  of 
Pentecost  was  nothing  more  nor  less  than  "  an 
enlarged  understanding  of  divine  Science."  Fol- 
lowing out  this  idea,  are  we  not  justified  in  ex- 
pecting to  find  the  sermon  of  Peter,  the  one  dis- 
ciple of  all  others  most  conspicuously  overwhelmed 
by  the  sudden  influx  of  this  new  light,  uttered  un- 
der the  immediate  inspiration  of  this  descending 
Spirit,  to  contain  a  clear  and  unsurpassed  pre- 
sentation of  the  fundamental  principles  of  Divine 
Science?  Surely  if  these  fundamental  principles 
are  not  to  be  found  here,  either  assumed,  implied 
or  expressed,  where  shall  we  hope  to  find  them  in 
the  New  Testament?  Yet  this  very  sermon  of 
Peter  may  be  searched  from  beginning  to  end,  and 
Christian  Science  can  be  challenged  to  find  in  it 
one  statement,  anywhere,  that  bears  the  slightest 
resemblance  to  the  teaching  of  its  system. 

On  the  contrary,  we  notice  the  denial  of  every 
one  of  these  fundamental  principles  of  Christian 
Science  is  either  assumed,  implied  or  directly  ex- 
pressed, while  Peter  sums  up  the  burden  of  the 
message  of  his  sermon  in  these  words:  "Therefore 
let  all  the  house  of  Israel  know  assuredly,  that  God 
hath  made  that  same  Jesus,  whom  ye  crucified, 
both  Lord  and  Christ  "  (Acts  2:  36).  In  the  light 
of  this  climax,  what  becomes  of  Mrs.  Eddy's  elabo- 


KON-SENSE  CHEI8TIANITY  83 

rately  worked  out  theory  that  the  Christ  is  not 
Jesus  of  Nazareth,  but  "  Truth  which  heals  men- 
tally," and  that  Peter  is  the  disciple  to  whom  this 
particular  truth  was  revealed  ? 

There  is  one  other  fact  which  this  claim  of  Mrs. 
Eddy,  that  divine  Science  is  the  Holy  Ghost,  calls 
to  our  attention.  It  is  the  striking  contrast  be- 
tween the  attitude  of  the  apostles  and  that  of  Mrs. 
Eddy  toward  the  proposition  of  commercializing 
the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  To  the  apostles 
there  was  no  suggestion  quite  as  abhorrent  as  that 
of  making  money  out  of  dispensing  the  power  of 
the  Holy  Ghost.  This  fact  is  impressively  brought 
out  in  the  incident  between  Peter  and  Simon  the 
Sorcerer,  recorded  in  the  eighth  chapter  of  Acts. 
The  attitude  of  the  apostles  is  well  expressed  in  the 
following  report  of  Peter's  reply  to  Simon's  pro- 
posal : 

Now  when  Simon  saw  that  through  the  laying  on 
of  the  apostles'  hands  the  Holy  Spirit  was  given,  he 
oflfered  them  money,  saying,  Give  me  also  this  power, 
that  on  whomsoever  I  lay  my  hands,  he  may  receive 
the  Holy  Spirit.  But  Peter  said  unto  him.  Thy  sil- 
ver perish  with  thee,  because  thou  hast  thought  to 
obtain  the  gift  of  God  with  money.  Thou  hast 
neither  part  nor  lot  in  this  matter:  for  thy  heart  is 
not  right  before  God.  Repent  therefore  of  this  thy 
wickedness,  and  pray  the  Lord,  if  perhaps  the 
thought  of  thy  heart  shall  be  forgiven  thee. 

In  amazing  contrast  to  this  apostolic  attitude, 
we  find  Mrs.  Eddy  from  the  very  beginning  com- 


84    THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

mercializing  the  holy  ghost  of  Christian  Science. 
She  always  placed  it  upon  the  market  as  a  com- 
mercial product  and  refused  to  dispense  it  unless 
paid  for.  And  if  the  pay  was  not  forthcoming, 
she  did  not  hesitate  to  take  the  matter  into  court 
and  sue  for  payment.  Mrs.  Eddy,  her  teachers, 
lecturers,  publishers,  healers,  and  readers,  dispense 
this  holy  ghost — Divine  Science — for  money.  In 
fact,  it  is  a  Christian  Science  sin  to  allow  any  per- 
son to  get  something  so  valuable  for  nothing — the 
one  sin  recognized  by  Christian  Science.  This 
point  is  well  brought  out  by  the  following  reply  of 
a  Christian  Science  healer  to  a  prospective  patient 
too  poor  to  pay  the  required  fee. 

Surely  you  do  not  expect  to  receive  benefits  like 
these  for  nothing.  It  is  my  experience  that  the  most 
difficult  cases  to  heal  are  those  of  people  who  can  pay 
and  do  not  want  to.  The  eagerness  to  get  something 
for  nothing  is  a  sin,  and  Christian  Scientists  would 
be  helping  to  perpetuate  the  sin  if  they  went  to  peo- 
ple and  healed  them  gratuitously  [Anne  Harwood, 
Christian  Science,  p.  74]. 

Mrs.  Eddy  herself  holds  this  same  view.  But 
perhaps  it  is  hardly  fair  to  lay  all  the  responsibility 
for  this  novel  feature  of  Christian  Science  upon 
Mrs.  Eddy.  For  she  has  taken  great  pains  to  in- 
form us  that  God  Himself,  greatly  against  her 
wish,  forced  her  to  commercialize  Divine  Science, 
and  instructed  her  as  to  the  exact  price  she  should 
charge.     This  interesting  side  light  upon  the  char- 


NON-SENSE  CHRISTIANITY  85 

acter  of  the  Christian  Science  god,  is  thus  given  in 
her  own  words : 

When  God  impelled  me  to  set  a  price  on  my  in- 
struction in  Christian  Science  Mind-healing,  I  could 
think  of  no  financial  equivalent  for  the  impartation 
of  a  knowledge  of  that  divine  power  which  heals; 
but  I  was  led  to  name  three  hundred  dollars  as  the 
price  for  each  pupil  in  one  course  of  lessons  at  my 
college — a  startling  sum  for  tuition  lasting  barely 
three  weeks.  This  amount  greatly  troubled  me,  I 
shrank  from  asking  it,  but  was  finally  led,  by  a 
strange  providence,  to  accept  this  fee.  God  has 
since  shown  me,  in  multitudinous  ways,  the  wisdom 
of  this  decision ;  and  I  beg  disinterested  people  to  ask 
my  loyal  students  if  they  consider  three  hundred 
dollars  any  real  equivalent  for  my  instruction  during 
twelve  half  days,  or  even  in  half  as  many  lessons 
[R.  and  I.,  p.  71]. 

When  it  is  realized  that  during  seven  years  some 
four  thousand  students  were  taught  by  Mrs.  Eddy, 
we  begin  to  comprehend  how  highly  she  valued 
her  instruction.  For  four  thousand  times  three 
hundred  is  one  million,  two  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars ($1,200,000).  And  this  amount  was  no  "  real 
equivalent "  for  her  instruction,  or  for  the  "  im- 
partation of  a  knowledge  of  that  divine  power 
which  heals,"  that  is,  the  holy  ghost  of  Divine 
Science.  Some  years  later  this  fact  so  grew  upon 
Mrs.  Eddy  that  she  reduced  the  number  of  lessons 
from  twelve  to  seven,  but  kept  the  price  the  same. 
In  the  Christian  Science  Journal  for  December, 
1888,  she  explains  this  action  thus; 


86   THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

As  this  number  of  lessons  is  of  more  value  than 
twice  this  number  in  times  past,  no  change  is  made 
in  the  price  of  tuition,  three  hundred  dollars.  Mary 
Baker  G.  Eddy  [quoted  by  Peabody,  Religio-Medical 
Masquerade,  p,  129]. 

That  "  enlarged  understanding  of  divine  Sci- 
ence " — the  Christian  Science  holy  ghost — seems 
to  have  just  missed  Peter  in  its  descent  and  fallen 
upon  Simon  the  Sorcerer.  For  he  seems  to  have 
been  the  only  one  in  the  apostolic  age  who  sensed 
the  idea  which  later  Mrs.  Eddy  made  the  organiz- 
ing principle  of  her  religion. 

71ie  Church  of  Non-Sense  Christianity.  A  dif- 
ferent God,  a  different  Christ,  a  different  Holy 
Ghost,  demand  a  different  church.  So  we  soon 
find  Mrs.  Eddy  busy  establishing  a  church  to  fit 
her  new  religion — a  church  whose  edifices  are 
erected  "  in  loving  memory  of  Mary  Baker  Eddy," 
whose  universal  and  permanent  pastor  she  has  or- 
dained as  the  "  Bible  and  Science  and  Health  with 
Key  to  the  Scriptures  "  (Church  Manual,  p.  58),  a 
church  whose  text-book  literature  Is  limited  to  her 
writings,  and  whose  name  is  always  Church  of 
Christ,  Scientist.  The  scrupulous  care  with  which 
this  title  is  always  maintained  is  intended  to  indi- 
cate to  the  enlightened,  that  any  church  which  is 
so  labelled  Is  not  a  church  of  Jesus,  the  Christ,  but 
a  church  of  Christ,  Scientist,  a  very  different  kind 
of  church. 

One  of  the  most  widely  advertised  features  of 


NON-SENSE  CHEISTIANITY  87 

this  church  is  that  it  has  no  creed.  In  the  His- 
torical Sketch  which  introduces  its  Church  Manual 
this  is  set  down  as  one  of  the  main  purposes  for  its 
organization.     There  we  read: 

In  the  spring  of  1879,  ^  httle  band  of  earnest 
seekers  after  Truth  went  into  deliberations  over 
forming  a  church  without  creeds,  to  be  called  the 
"  Church  of  Christ,  Scientist "  [Church  Manual, 
p.  17]. 

In  Science  and  Health  we  find  this  question  and 
answer  : 

Question  i. — Have  Christian  Scientists  any  relig- 
ious creed? 

Answer. — They  have  not,  if  by  that  term  is  meant 
doctrinal  beliefs  [p.  496]. 

This  bait  seems  somewhat  attractive  to  certain 
types  of  mind,  but  those  who  do  not  wish  to  be 
caught  had  better  not  bite ;  for  this  widely  adver- 
tised "  no  creed  "  idea  is  simply  a  thinly  disguised 
ruse  to  tempt  those  who  have  a  constitutional 
prejudice  against  creeds.  A  little  inside  knowl- 
edge of  the  Christian  Science  ecclesiastical  organi- 
zation reveals  the  existence  of  the  most  exacting 
and  distinct  doctrinal  beliefs  about  God,  Christ, 
the  Holy  Ghost,  the  world,  man,  sin,  salvation. 
It  also  discloses  the  fact  that  Mrs.  Eddy  installed 
for  safeguarding  and  protecting  these  doctrines 
the  most  complete  and  efficient  ecclesiastical  ma- 
chinery that  exists. 

If  this  is  a  church  without  a  creed  and  without 


88   THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

"doctrinal  beliefs,"  most  of  those  who  are  in 
search  of  relief  at  this  point  would  find  the  aver- 
age historic  denomination  with  a  creed  a  much 
more  congenial  home. 

Let  us  now  examine  a  few  of  these  "  doctrines 
of  Christian  Science."  Perhaps  we  can  do  no  bet- 
ter than  to  dig  down,  uncover,  and  take  a  look  at 
the  rock- foundation  upon  which  this  church  is 
built.  Mrs.  Eddy  helps  us  in  our  work  of  excava- 
tion as  follows.  She  quotes  the  familiar  words  of 
Jesus,  "  Thou  art  Peter,  and  upon  this  rock  I  will 
build  my  church,"  and  then  she  comments: 

In  other  words,  Jesus  purposed  founding  his  so- 
ciety, not  on  the  personal  Peter  as  a  mortal,  but  on 
the  God-power  which  lay  behind  Peter's  confession 
of  the  true  Messiah.  It  was  now  evident  to  Peter 
that  divine  Life,  Truth,  and  Love,  and  not  a  human 
personality,  was  the  healer  of  the  sick  and  a  rock,  a 
firm  foundation  in  the  realm  of  harmony  [p.  138]. 

We  are  again  back  upon  old  familiar  ground. 
The  Christian  Science  Church  is  not  founded  upon 
the  great  truth  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  the  Christ, 
but  rather  upon  Peter's  confession  that  it  was  now 
evident  to  him  that  "  Truth  *  *  *,  and  not  a 
human  personality,  was  the  healer  of  the  sick." 
Here  again,  as  on  the  Day  of  Pentecost,  Peter 
happens  to  be  the  one  particular  disciple  who  is 
chosen  from  all  the  rest  to  be  favoured  with  the 
revelation  of  this  "  great  fact "  direct  from  "  The 
Father  in  heaven." 


NON-SENSE  CHEISTIANITY  89 

Having  now  had  vouchsafed  to  him  these  two 
unique  manifestations  of  the  fundamental  truth  of 
Divine  Science,  it  is  beginning  to  be  time  for 
Peter  to  show  some  evidence  of  the  possession  of 
this  most  important  and  revolutionary  knowledge. 
It  did  not  take  Mrs.  Eddy  as  long  after  the  same 
revelation  was  vouchsafed  to  her  in  1866  to  show 
some  signs  of  having  received  it.  Perhaps  we 
shall  find  it  in  the  incident  where  he  heals  the  lame 
man  at  the  gate  of  the  temple  which  is  called 
Beautiful.  Surely  here  we  find  the  most  superb 
setting  for  a  spectacular  and  convincing  demon- 
stration of  this  truth.  Notice  the  significant  points : 
Peter  has  just  healed  a  man  lame  from  birth.  He 
is  called  before  the  authorities,  and  asked  "  by 
what  power  or  by  what  name,  have  ye  done  this  ?  " 
He  is  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  Mrs.  Eddy 
claims  is  Divine  Science,  so  his  mind  cannot  be 
clouded  by  the  errors  of  material  sense,  and  what 
he  says  must  be  true. 

With  all  these  points  in  mind  let  us  read  his 
reply: 

If  we  this  day  are  examined  concerning  a  good 
deed  done  to  an  impotent  man,  by  what  means  this 
man  is  made  whole ;  be  it  known  unto  you  all,  and  to 
all  the  people  of  Israel,  that  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Nazareth,  whom  ye  crucified,  whom  God 
raised  from  the  dead,  even  in  him  doth  this  man 
stand  here  before  you  whole.  *  *  *  And  in 
none  other  is  there  salvation:  for  neither  is  there 


90   THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

other  name  under  heaven,  that  is  given  among  men, 
virherein  we  must  be  saved  [Acts  4:9-12]. 

When  these  words  are  placed  over  against  Mrs. 
Eddy's  previous  interpretations,  this  becomes  the 
most  amazing  statement  imaginable.  Mrs.  Eddy 
has  just  informed  us  "  it  is  now^  evident  to  Peter 
that  divine  Life,  Truth,  and  Love,  and  not  a  hu- 
man personality,  was  the  healer  of  the  sick." 

To  make  this  meaning  more  unmistakable  we 
will  place  by  its  side  the  statement  of  the  same 
paragraph  in  the  second  edition  of  Science  and 
Health;  it  reads: 

The  fact  that  a  Principle  and  not  a  person  heals 
the  sick  in  Science  was  evident  to  Peter  [p.  64]. 

Yet  having  just  healed  a  man,  and  being  com- 
manded to  tell  *'  by  what  power,  or  in  what  name," 
he  has  done  it,  he  seems  to  go  out  of  his  way  to 
identify  the  Christ  in  whose  name  the  healing  was 
done  as  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  Is  it  possible  to  mis- 
understand these  words :  "  Be  it  known  unto  you 
all  *  *  *  that  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Nazareth,  whom  ye  crucified,  whom  God  raised 
from  the  dead '' — this  would  seem  to  be  enough, 
but  lest  there  should  be  any  ground  for  misunder- 
standing, he  adds — ''  even  in  him  doth  this  man 
stand  before  you  whole."  There  is  in  this  pas- 
sage no  skillful  shifting  of  pronouns  from  "  him  " 
and  "  who  "  to  "  what "  and  "  it,"  as  we  found  in 
Mrs.    Eddy's   interpretation.      And   having   been 


NON-SENSE  CHEISTIANITY  91 

given  two  alternatives  by  the  court,  "  by  what 
power,  or  in  what  name,"  Peter  deHberately 
chooses  just  the  opposite  alternative  from  the  one 
Mrs.  Eddy  has  informed  us  he  has  discerned  as 
the  result  of  a  direct  revelation  from  the  Father 
in  Heaven.  He  emphasizes  a  person,  not  a  prin- 
ciple, as  the  one  in  whose  name  his  healing  was 
wrought.  Then,  not  content  with  this,  he  sweeps 
the  field  clean  of  all  rivals  and  competitors  by 
announcing:  "And  in  none  other  is  there  salva- 
tion: for  neither  is  there  any  other  name  under 
heaven,  that  is  given  among  men,  wherein  we  must 
be  saved." 

Is  not  this  enough?  What  a  sorry  mess  of 
things  Peter  has  made  as  the  star  witness  for 
Mrs.  Eddy's  non-sense  interpretation  of  the  Bible, 
and  the  Christian  Science  system  of  healing.  Hav- 
ing been  given  two  unparalleled  opportunities  to 
vindicate  her,  each  time  he  has  denied  everything 
he  should  have  affirmed,  and  affirmed  everything 
he  should  have  denied.  The  truth  is,  he  seems  to 
be  absolutely  impervious  to  the  penetration  of 
Christian  Science  revelations.  This  may  help  to 
account  for  the  apparent  blunder  he  made  in  deal- 
ing with  the  proposition  of  Simon  the  Sorcerer. 
It  seems  incredible  that  any  mind  still  open  to 
evidence,  reason,  and  conviction,  can  be  longer 
deceived  by  Mrs.  Eddy's  interpretation  of  the 
Bible. 

Some  Cardinal  Doctrines  of  Non-Sense  Chris- 


92    THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

tianity.  To  round  out  our  information  for  use  in 
argument,  we  will  hastily  sketch  the  teaching  of 
Christian  Science  upon  a  few  of  the  more  impor- 
tant Christian  doctrines. 

The  Incarnation.  In  its  primary  sense  the  word 
incarnate  means  to  invest  with  flesh,  or  embody  in 
human  form.  The  simplest  statement  of  the 
Christian  doctrine  is  contained  in  these  words: 
"  The  Word  became  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us  " 
(John  1:  14).  Any  one  at  all  familiar  with  the 
fundamental  teaching  of  Christian  Science  realizes 
instantly  that  these  words  contain  the  arch  heresy 
of  Christian  Science.  To  guard  against  the  very 
possibility  of  such  an  idea,  Mrs.  Eddy  even  elimi- 
nates the  preposition  "  in "  from  non-sense 
language.     In  her  Glossary  she  says  of  this  word: 

In.  A  term  obsolete  in  Science  if  used  with  refer- 
ence to  Spirit,  or  Deity  [p.  588]. 

Yet  the  very  "  in,"  obsolete  in  Christian  Science, 
is  the  core  of  the  Christian  doctrine  of  the  /w- 
carnation.  Such  ideas  as,  God  manifest  in  the 
flesh,  soul  in  the  body,  and  mind  in  matter,  are 
impossible  in  Christian  Science.  Upon  this  point 
it  is  not  necessary  to  waste  time,  for  it  is  so  obvi- 
ous. One  familiar  quotation  sums  up  the  whole 
subject: 

Is  Spirit,  God,  injected  into  dust,  and  eventually 
ejected  at  the  demand  of  matter?  Does  Spirit  enter 
dust,  and  lose  therein  the  divine  nature  and  omnipo- 


NON-SENSE  CHEISTIANITY  93 

tence?  Does  Mind,  God,  enter  matter  to  become 
there  a  mortal  sinner,  animated  by  the  breath  of 
God?  [p.  524f.]. 

This  question  is  answered  in  these  words : 

Is  it  the  truth,  or  is  it  a  he  concerning  man  and 
God?    It  must  be  a  He  [p.  524]. 

How  then  does  Mrs.  Eddy  explain  the  coming  of 
Christ,  some  one  may  ask?  To  her  Christ  is  "  The 
Messiah — the  divine  idea  of  God  outside  the 
flesh,"  instead  of  incarnate  in  the  flesh.  (See  p. 
482.)     Such  a  statement  speaks  for  itself. 

The  Virgin  Birth  and  Jesus.  While  this  doc- 
trine has  become  the  theological  Waterloo  for 
many  budding  theologues,  Christian  Science  preens 
itself  upon  its  unhesitating  acceptance  of  the 
Virgin  Birth  of  Jesus.  This  soimds  so  satis- 
factorily orthodox  that  it  is  often  stretched  to 
cover  up  a  multitude  of  other  statements  which 
will  not  so  satisfactorily  qualify.  The  moment 
those  who  know  Mrs.  Eddy's  campaign  strategy 
find  her  mothering  the  doctrine  of  the  Virgin 
Birth  of  Jesus  they  suspect  that  she  is  about  to 
turn  it  to  some  practical  use  in  her  non-sense  sci- 
ence. This  suspicion  is  soon  justified.  The  Vir- 
gin Birth  of  Jesus  does  not  emphasize  His  unique- 
ness, but  on  the  contrary  it  proves  the  Christian 
Science  theory  that  "  God  is  the  Father  of  all." 
Introducing  this  idea,  she  says : 

Did  God  at  first  create  one  man  unaided, — that  is. 


94   THE  KON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

Adam, — ^but  afterwards  require  the  union  of  the  two 
sexes  in  order  to  create  the  rest  of  the  human  fam- 
ily?    No!     God  makes  and  governs  ail  [p.  53 if.]. 

In  another  place  she  says: 

Until  it  is  learned  that  God  is  the  Father  of  all, 
marriage  will  continue  [p.  64]. 

It  is  evident  that  we  have  now  come  upon  the 
hardest  truth  of  all  the  strange  non-sense  medley 
for  Christian  Scientists  to  learn — "  that  God  is 
the  Father  of  all/*  For  marriage  continues  to 
persist  with  uncanny  vitality  in  Christian  Science. 
In  fact  this  seems  to  have  been  one  of  the  hardest 
lessons  for  Mrs.  Eddy  to  learn,  as  her  marriage 
record  shows.  The  implication  of  these  words  is 
that  as  soon  as  this  great  truth  has  been  learned, 
marriage  will  no  longer  be  necessary,  for  all  birth 
will  be  by  immaculate  conception,  through  mental 
generation.  It  is  to  bring  out  this  important 
Christian  Science  truth  that  she  inserts  this  amaz- 
ing passage  in  the  closing  portion  of  her  chapter 
on  Marriage: 

Proportionately  as  human  generation  ceases,  the 
unbroken  links  of  eternal,  harmonious  being  will  be 
spiritually  discerned;  and  man,  not  of  the  earth 
earthly  but  coexistent  with  God,  will  appear.  *  *  * 
Thus  it  is  that  the  real,  ideal  man  appears  in  propor- 
tion as  the  false  and  material  disappears.  No  longer 
to  marry  or  to  be  "  given  In  marriage  "  neither  closes 
man's  continuity  nor  his  sense  of  increasing  number 
in  God's  infinite  plan  [p.  68f.]. 


^1 


NON-SENSE  CHEISTIANITY  96 

It  is  for  this  reason  that  children,  born  in  wedlock, 
are  defined  by  Mrs.  Eddy  as  **  sensual  and  mortal 
beliefs;  counterfeits  of  creation,  whose  better 
originals  are  God's  thoughts"  (p.  583). 

It  is  in  order  to  back  up  this  idea  of  mental 
generation  that  Mrs.  Eddy  is  led  to  mother  the 
doctrine  of  the  Virgin  Birth  of  Jesus.  Concern- 
ing this  she  says: 

Those  instructed  in  Christian  Science  have  reached 
the  glorious  perception  that  God  is  the  only  author 
of  man.  The  Virgin-mother  conceived  this  idea  of 
God,  and  gave  to  her  ideal  the  name  of  Jesus — that 
is  Joshua,  or  Saviour  [p.  29]. 

It  is  clearly  down  into  the  moral  miasma  of 
this  non-sense  science  theory  of  mental  generation 
that  Mrs.  Eddy  drags  the  doctrine  of  the  Virgin 
Birth  of  Jesus.  When  viewed  in  the  light  of  this 
fact,  her  championing  of  it  does  not  serve  to  rec- 
ommend Christian  Science  any  more  strongly. 

The  Atonement  of  Non-Sense  Christianity. 
The  Atonement  is  such  an  important  doctrine 
that  Mrs.  Eddy  is  compelled  to  devote  a  whole 
chapter  to  a  desperate  attempt  to  conceal  the  real 
status  of  Christian  Science  upon  this  subject. 
But  in  spite  of  this  splendid  effort  the  truth  is  out. 
It  is  all  contained  in  this  one  sentence: 

The  atonement  is  a  hard  problem  in  theology,  but 
its  scientific  explanation  is,  that  suffering  is  an  error 
of  sinful  sense  which  Truth  destroys  [p.  23]. 


96    THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

Just  think  that  statement  through,  and  it  makes 
the  suffering  of  Jesus,  during  His  lif e,  in  Gethsem- 
ane,  and  upon  Calvary,  either  unreal,  or  caused 
by  His  own  "error  of  sinful  sense."  Taking 
either  horn  of  the  dilemma  completely  nullifies 
the  truth  underlying  every  existing  historic  theory 
of  the  Atonement.  As  to  which  of  these  horns 
Mrs.  Eddy  herself  takes  there  is  no  doubt.  She 
says: 

Jesus  bore  our  infirmities;  he  knew  the  error  of 
mortal  belief,  and  with  his  stripes  (the  rejection  of 
error)  we  are  healed  [p.  20.  The  italics  are  the 
writer's]. 

The  Resurrection  of  Non-Sense  Christianity. 
Without  any  death  it  would  seem  difficult  to  have 
much  of  a  resurrection.  Yet  Mrs.  Eddy  spends 
much  time  about  the  tomb  of  Jesus.  This  is  not 
because  she  believes  that  Jesus  rose  from  the  dead, 
but  because  His  coming  forth  from  the  tomb  is  a 
final  demonstration  of  the  Christian  Science 
theory  that  there  is  no  death.  Here  is  her  ex- 
planation of  this  event: 

The  lonely  precincts  of  the  tomb  gave  Jesus  a 
refuge  from  his  foes,  a  place  in  which  to  solve  the 
great  problem  of  being.  His  three  days*  work  in  the 
sepulchre  set  the  seal  of  eternity  on  time.  He 
proved  Life  to  be  deathless  and  Love  to  be  the  mas- 
ter of  hate.  *  *  *  jjis  disciples  believed  Jesus 
to  be  dead  while  he  was  hidden  in  the  sepulchre, 
whereas  he  was  alive,  demonstrating  within  the  nar- 


NONSENSE  CHEISTIANITY  97 

row  tomb  the  power  of  Spirit  to  overrule  mortal, 
material  sense.  *  *  *  Our  Master  fully  and 
finally  demonstrated  divine  Science  in  his  victory 
over  death  and  the  grave  [p.  44f.]. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  Mrs.  Eddy  continues  her 
old  practice.  She  does  not  hesitate  to  say  that  the 
disciples  when  they  thought  Jesus  was  dead  in  the 
tomb  were  wrong,  while  she  is  right  in  saying  that 
He  was  alive.  Her  idea  is  perfectly  good  spirit- 
ism, which  she  repudiates  in  a  chapter  upon  the 
subject,  but  it  has  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  the 
belief  of  the  historic  church  in  the  Resurrection  of 
Jesus. 

This  idea  of  the  Resurrection  helps  to  explain 
an  otherwise  very  unusual  by-law  prohibition  in 
the  Church  Manual  of  a  so-called  Christian  de- 
nomination which  is  promulgating  the  "  pure 
evangelic  truth.'*  It  is  found  under  Article  XVII 
and  reads: 

Easter  Observances.  Sect.  2.  In  the  United 
States  there  shall  be  no  special  observances,  festivi- 
ties,  nor  gifts  at  the  Easter  season  by  members  of 
The  Mother  Church  [p.  60]. 

The  Sacraments  of  Non-Sense  Christianity. 
The  same  presumption  which  has  characterized 
Mrs.  Eddy's  treatment  of  all  other  sacred  things 
continues  to  be  in  evidence  when  she  deals  with  the 
sacraments. 

Baptism.     Without  any  hesitation  or  compunc- 


98    THE  NON-SEKSB  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

tions  she  eliminates  from  the  church  that  holds 
*'  the  pure  evangelic  truth "  the  historic  rite  of 
baptism.  It  happens  to  employ  material  water, 
and  to  have  some  reference  to  the  idea  of  washing 
away  sin,  so  it  cannot  be  retained  in  Christian 
Science  Church  polity.  To  the  Christian  Scientist 
baptism  is  "purification  by  Spirit;  submergence  in 
Spirit"  (p.  581).  Or,  as  it  is  expressed  in  an- 
other place,  "  Our  baptism  is  a  purification  from 
all  error"  (p.  35). 

The  Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  When 
we  come  upon  her  treatment  of  the  sacrament  of 
the  Lord's  Supper,  we  are  furnished  with  an  illus- 
tration of  unparalleled  audacity  which  fittingly 
caps  the  climax.  Just  because  this  holy  sacra- 
ment, one  of  the  most  precious  legacies  of  the 
church  universal,  happens  to  feature  certain  ideas 
which  seriously  conflict  with  Christian  Science 
teaching,  she  forbids  its  celebration  in  the  Chris- 
tian Science  Church,  and  substitutes  a  communion 
of  her  own  institution.  In  explaining  this  action 
upon  her  part,  she  informs  us  that  the  present 
method  of  celebration  is  all  wrong.  For  Jesus 
never  gave  literal  bread  and  wine  to  His  disciples 
at  the  last  supper.  To  believe  that  He  did  is 
foolish.  In  proof  of  this  statement,  after  quoting 
the  familiar  words  of  institution,  she  says: 

The  true  sense  is  spiritually  lost,  if  the  sacrament 
is  confined  to  the  use  of  bread  and  wine.  The  dis- 
ciples had  eaten,  yet  Jesus  prayed  and  gave  them 


NON-SENSE  CHEISTIANITY  99 

bread.  This  would  have  been  foolish  in  a  literal 
sense;  but  in  its  spiritual  significance,  it  was  natural 
and  beautiful.  Jesus  prayed ;  he  withdrew  from  the 
material  senses  to  refresh  his  heart  with  brighter, 
with  spiritual  views.  *  *  *  His  followers,  sor- 
rowful and  silent,  anticipating  the  hour  of  their 
Master's  betrayal,  partook  of  the  heavenly  manna. 
*  *  *  It  was  the  great  truth  of  spiritual  being, 
healing  the  sick  and  casting  out  error  [p.  32f.]. 

We  will  now  turn  to  the  new  sacrament,  or  com- 
munion service,  which  Mrs.  Eddy  institutes  to 
take  the  place  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  It  is  the 
breakfast  which  Jesus  served  to  seven  disciples  on 
the  shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee  after  His  resurrec- 
tion. Is  not  this  an  original  idea?  The  merits 
of  this  breakfast  over  the  Lord's  Supper  are  thus 
stated : 

What  a  contrast  between  our  Lord's  last  supper 
and  his  last  spiritual  breakfast  with  his  disciples  in 
the  bright  morning  hours  at  the  joyful  meeting  on 
the  shore  of  the  Galilean  Sea!  His  gloom  had 
passed  into  glory,  and  his  disciples'  grief  into  re- 
pentance. *  *  *  This  spiritual  meeting  with  our 
Lord  in  the  dawn  of  a  new  light  is  the  morning  meal 
which  Christian  Scientists  commemorate  [p.  34f.]. 

The  Lord  of  Non-Sense  Christianity.  This 
move  of  Mrs.  Eddy  in  discarding  the  sacrament 
of  the  Lord*s  Supper  and  substituting  in  its  place 
a  communion  of  her  own  institution,  with  all  the 
tremendous   consequences   which    naturally   must 


100  THE  NONSENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

follow  therefrom,  does  not  seem  to  have  pene- 
trated the  religious  consciousness  of  the  church. 
What  it  foreshadows  has  not  yet  been  sensed.  Is 
it  not  the  keystone  completing  the  portal-arch  of 
Christian  Science  truth,  which  ushers  humanity 
into  a  new  dispensation  ?  Does  it  not  fittingly  crown 
the  finished  work  of  the  "  second  appearing  in  the 
flesh  of  Christ,  Truth  "  ?  Of  course  this  idea  has 
not  as  yet  received  complete  expression  in  words, 
but  in  reality  this  new  dispensaton  has  already 
been  duly  inaugurated  in  Christian  Science,  and  its 
control  is  in  full  swing.  The  first  dispensation 
was  under  Moses  and  the  Law,  the  second  under 
Jesus  and  the  Gospel,  the  third  is  under  Mrs.  Eddy 
and  Divine  Science.  As  each  new  dispensation  is 
inaugurated  it  displaces  the  older  ceremonial 
forms  with  its  more  refined  ones.  So  it  is  but 
natural  that  Christian  Science,  as  it  inaugurates 
its  new  dispensation,  should  displace  the  material 
ceremonies  of  the  Gospel  with  the  purely  spiritual 
ceremonies  of  Divine  Science. 

This  is  not  all.  The  first  two  dispensations  of 
necessity  were  limited  and  temporal;  the  last  is 
destined  to  become  permanent  and  universal.  This 
idea  is  not  the  product  of  the  writer^s  prophetic 
imagination;  it  is  all  beautifully  foretold  by  Mrs. 
Eddy  for  those  who  can  read  and  understand. 
Let  us  pull  aside  the  veil  so  that  the  apocalyptic 
vision  of  Christian  Science  may  burst  upon  us. 
It  is  contained  in  the  following  passages: 


NON-SENSE  CHEISTIANITY  101 

The  impersonation  of  the  spiritual  idea  had  a  brief 
history  in  the  earthly  life  of  our  Master ;  but  "  of  his 
kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end,"  for  Christ,  God's 
idea,  will  eventually  rule  all  nations  and  peoples — 
imperatively,  absolutely,  finally — with  divine  Science. 
This  immaculate  idea,  represented  first  by  man  and, 
according  to  the  Revelator,  last  by  woman,  will  bap- 
tize with  fire  [p.  565]. 

Developing  this  idea  a  little  more  clearly,  Mrs. 
Eddy  presents  us  with  this  interesting  parallel: 

No  person  can  compass  or  fulfill  the  individual 
mission  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  No  person  can  take 
the  place  of  the  author  of  Science  and  Health,  the 
discoverer  and  founder  of  Christian  Science.  Each 
individual  must  fill  his  own  niche  in  time  and  eter- 
nity. The  second  appearing  of  Jesus  is  unquestion- 
ably, the  spiritual  advent  of  the  advancing  idea,  of 
God  as  in  Christian  Science  [R.  and  I.,  p.  96]. 

We  are  now  coming  to  another  most  important 
point.  "  This  immaculate  idea,"  or  Christ,  was 
"  represented  first  by  man  and,  according  to  the 
Revelator,  last  by  woman."  The  man,  who  first 
represented  it,  was  Jesus  of  Nazareth;  and  who 
was  the  woman  who  introduced  the  "  advancing 
idea,  of  God  as  in  Christian  Science "  ?  None 
other  than  Mary  Baker  Eddy.  Putting  these  two 
ideas  together  we  learn  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
must  be  content  to  fulfill  His  own  niche  in  time 
and  eternity  as  the  first  appearing  in  the  flesh  of 
Christ,  Truth.     For  this  immaculate  idea  has  now 


102  THE  NOK-SEKSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

come  again,  and  this  time  it  is  represented  by  *'  a 
woman."  The  world  has  been  slow  in  recogniz- 
ing this  fact  because  it  was  not  expecting  to  have 
the  returning  Christ  represented  by  a  woman.  The 
good  tidings  of  this  new  dispensation  are  that  the 
millennium  has  already  dawned,  ushered  in  by 
the  second  appearing  of  Christ,  represented  by 
Mrs.  Eddy,  and  its  full  benefits  and  hopes  will  be 
realized  when  Divine  Science  eventually  rules 
"  all  nations  and  peoples — imperatively,  abso- 
lutely, finally." 

Quite  a  complete  system  of  religion  when  its 
full  theological  structure  is  comprehended!  Its 
skeleton  has  been  ingeniously  contrived  to  match 
that  of  historic  Christianity.  Every  one  of  its 
members  is  labelled  with  the  corresponding  name, 
and  its  garb  is  minutely  copied.  It  is  not  at  all 
surprising  that  it  is  so  often  thought  to  be  real 
Christianity.  On  the  surface  it  looks  so  much 
like  it.  It  is  a  shrewd  imitation,  but  it  does  not 
contain  a  single  one  of  the  essential  elements  of 
the  genuine  article.  This  is  not  a  hasty,  preju- 
diced or  unwarranted  accusation.  It  is  a  conclu- 
sion irresistibly  forced  by  a  careful,  exhaustive 
study  of  the  fundamental  teachings  of  Science 
and  Health.  This  teaching,  stripped  of  all  the 
camouflage  of  non-sense  language,  has  been  placed 
before  you.  It  carries  its  own  evidence.  Paul 
said  there  is  "one  Lord,  one  faith,  one  baptism, 
one  God  and  Father  of  all"  (Eph.  4:  5-6).     If 


NONSENSE  CHEISTIANITY  103 

Christian  Science  is  to  be  included  in  the  unity  of 
that  faith,  this  statement  will  have  to  be  revised  at 
every  point.  For  it  has  a  different  faith,  baptism, 
God  and  Father,  Christ,  Lord, — and  Mary  Baker 
Glover  Patterson  Eddy  is  its  lord. 

If  there  still  persists  any  lingering  doubt  as  to 
the  truth  of  this  last  assertion,  it  will  be  convinc- 
ingly confirmed  by  an  intelligent  study  of  the 
Christian  Science  Hymnal.  When  one  is  in 
search  of  the  actual  working  theology  of  any  sect, 
its  hymnology  must  never  be  overlooked.  Of 
course  this  hymnal  is  compiled  with  the  same  du- 
plicity and  camouflaging  art  found  in  Science  and 
Health.  So  that  to  the  casual  worshipper  it  gives 
the  comfortable  feeling  of  familiar  religious  at- 
mosphere. Many  of  the  old  hymns  and  tunes  are 
incorporated  in  it. 

But  the  kind  of  hymns  that  have  been  selected 
are  worth  noting.  Hymns  on  general  religious 
themes,  hymns  that  carry  the  name,  Lord,  Christ, 
Saviour,  Master, — ^without  the  identifying  name 
of  Jesus — are  given  a  place.  For  by  proper  men- 
tal reservations  these  can  be  interpreted  to  refer 
to  their  Lord,  Christ,  Saviour,  Master.  This  is 
also  true  of  hymns  to  God  and  the  Holy  Spirit. 
The  list  of  approved  hymns  stops  here. 

More  significant  than  those  which  are  selected, 
is  the  impressive  list  of  those  rejected.  No  hymns 
which  give  expression  to  the  Messiahship  of  Je- 
sus, or  which  attach  the  name  Christ  to  that  of 


104  THE  NON-SEKSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

Jesus,  are  admitted.  In  the  same  way  no  hymns 
which  give  expression  to  His  Lordship  or  Deity 
are  approved. 

Some  of  these  great  hymns  are  so  singable  and 
inspiring  that  Mrs.  Eddy  cannot  make  up  her 
mind  to  do  without  them.  So  she  does  with  them 
as  she  does  with  everything  else,  she  takes  the 
liberty  of  making  them  over  to  suit  her  purpose. 
By  the  simple  trick  of  dropping  out  the  name  of 
Jesus  and  substituting  for  it  some  indefinite,  gen- 
eral word,  like  God  or  Lord,  she  can  use  the  whole 
hymn.  Here  are  a  couple  of  examples  of  the  way 
this  is  done.     Take  Cowper's  old  hymn: 

Jesus,  wherever  Thy  people  meet. 
There  they  behold  Thy  mercy-seat,  etc. 

Mrs.  Eddy  changes  this  to  read: 

O  Lord !  where'er  Thy  people  meet. 
There  they  behold  Thy  mercy-seat,  etc. 
(see  No.  25). 

In  the  same  way  she  takes  Isaac  Watts*  famous 
hymn: 

Jesus  shall  reign  where'er  the  sun 
Does  his  successive  journeys  run,  etc. 

This  she  changes  to  read : 

Our  God  shall  reign  where'er  the  sun 
Does  his  successive  journeys  run,  etc. 
(see  No.  202). 

These  changes  are  very  slight,  but  why  does  Mrs. 


NON-SENSE  CHEISTIANITY  106 

Eddy  make  them?  Why  is  the  name  of  Jesus 
deliberately  eliminated?  There  is  only  one  rea- 
son. These  hymns  give  expression  to  His  Lord- 
ship and  Deity,  and  this  she  will  not  sanction. 
Whether  she  believes  in  it  or  not,  she  has  no  right 
to  ask  permission  of  publishers  to  use  these  hymns 
and  then,  after  having  been  graciously  granted 
this,  arbitrarily  make  alterations  in  their  meaning 
and  message  until  they  deny  the  very  faith  which 
they  were  written  to  express.  Yet  this  she  does 
without  even  a  note  of  explanation.  Of  course, 
the  average  person  is  so  unobserving  that  the 
change  makes  no  impression. 

But  how  any  one  can  fail  to  notice  the  way 
other  hymns  are  altered  is  more  than  we  can  un- 
derstand. Take  Toplady's  famous  hymn,  Rock 
of  Ages.     It  is  thus  garbled: 

Rock  of  Ages,  Truth  Divine, 

Be  Thy  strength  forever  mine; 

Let  me  rest  secure  on  Thee 

Safe  above  life's  raging  sea,  (see  No.  i88). 

The  "Divine  Truth"  of  which  it  sings  is  the 
truth  of  Mrs.  Eddy's  non-sense  science.  This 
single  verse  shows  very  clearly  that  she  Is  borrow- 
ing the  prestige  of  this  great  hymn  and  making  it 
express  a  very  different  faith  from  the  original. 
We  wonder  what  Toplady  would  say  if  he  could 
rise  from  his  grave  and  see  the  kind  of  theology 
to  which  he  is  being  made  a  party. 


106   THE  NONSENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN SCIENCE 

''Abide  With  Me  "  is  thus  parodied: 

Abide  with  me!     Fast  breaks  the  morning  Light, 
Our  day-star  rises,  banishing  all  night; 
Thou  art  our  strength,  oh.  Truth  that  maketh  free! 
We  would  unfailingly  abide  in  Thee.     (See  No.  185). 

It  is  not  necessary  to  multiply  illustrations  of 
this  conscienceless  mutilation  of  noble  hymns 
whose  history  entitles  them  to  better  treatment. 
But  as  in  every  other  department  of  its  literature, 
so  in  its  hymnology,  Christian  Science  thought  is 
sterile.  Error  always  lacks  the  divine  spark  of 
the  creative  genius  which  truth  inspires.  This  is 
why  from  beginning  to  end  it  is  forced  to  borrow 
and  parody.  It  borrows  and  parodies  the  great 
words  of  the  Christian  religion,  God,  Christ,  Holy 
Spirit,  Lord,  Saviour,  Bible,  Divine,  Christian.  It 
borrows  and  parodies  every  passage  of  Scripture  it 
uses.  It  borrows  and  parodies  the  Twenty-third 
Psalm,  and  the  Lord's  Prayer.  And  as  we  shall 
soon  see  it  borrows  and  parodies  every  idea  to  be 
found  in  its  text-book  Science  and  Health.  So 
also  it  has  to  borrow  and  parody  the  great  hymns 
of  the  Church  in  order  to  get  a  hymnology. 

But  even  after  it  has  gone  the  limit  along  this 
line  its  hymnology  is  pitifully  poverty  stricken. 
The  necessity  of  its  non-sense  Christianity  has 
forced  it  to  eliminate  all  hymns  touching  upon  the 
Messianic  mission  of  Jesus,  His  Lordship  and 
Deity,  ^  all    those    commemorating    His    Passion, 


NON-SENSE  CHEISTIANITT  107 

Crucifixion,  Atonement,  Birth,  and  Resurrection. 
This  leaves  pretty  poor  picking.  To  make  a  re- 
spectable hymnal  out  of  what  is  left,  hymns  and 
tunes  are  printed  in  large  type  and  then  stretched 
to  cover  all  the  space  possible.  For  extra  pad- 
ding many  hymns  are  inserted  twice  to  different 
tunes. 

Mrs.  Eddy  has  written  five  of  these  hymns. 
Their  poetry  and  ideas  are  in  keeping  with  her 
usual  productions.  To  be  sure  they  are  not  neg- 
lected, an  official  decree  requires  that  they  be  sung 
every  so  often.  Two  of  these  are  twice  inserted, 
and  one  of  them  is  found  in  three  different  places 
in  the  book.  Each  time  set  to  a  different  tune. 
Having  denied  her  followers  the  joy  of  singing 
the  great  Christmas  anthems  of  the  Church  be- 
cause they  do  not  jibe  with  her  non-sense  Christi- 
anity, she  condescendingly  writes  a  substitute 
Christmas  hymn  for  their  benefit.  We  will  give 
a  couple  of  sample  verses: 

Dear  Christ,  forever  here  and  near, 
No  cradle  song — 

No  natal  hour  and  mother's  tear — 
To  thee  belong. 

Thou  God-Idea,  Life  encrowned, 
The  Bethlehem  babe 
Beloved,  replete,  by  flesh  embound 
Was  but  thy  shade.    (See  No.  i86). 

No  further  study  of  this  hymnal  is  necessary. 


108  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAJ!^  SCIENCE 

It  was  not  compiled  by  chance.  Through  its  sys- 
tematic, consistent  selection  and  rejection  of  great 
hymns  from  the  hymnology  of  the  historic  Chris- 
tian Church  it  proves  beyond  cavil  that  Christian 
Science  has  a  different  faith,  baptism,  God  and 
Father,  Christ,  and  Lord. 

Let  us  be  clearly  understood.  No  one  questions 
Mrs.  Eddy's  right  to  organize  any  kind  of  a  relig- 
ious cult  she  may  choose.  This  is  a  land  of  re- 
ligious liberty.  But  v^hen  once  she  has  freely 
exercised  this  right  and  formed  a  religion,  every 
fundamental  principle  of  which  is  in  direct  and 
irreconcilable  conflict  with  the  essential  teaching 
of  historic  Christianity,  she  has  no  right  to  try  to 
palm  it  off  as  the  essential  Christianity  which  Je- 
sus preached,  practiced,  and  left  us  as  our  rich 
legacy.  This  is  the  point  at  which  our  protest  is 
lodged.  The  ultimate  consequences  involved  in 
the  supplanting  in  the  minds  of  many  people  of 
the  historic  Christian  faith  by  such  a  non-sense 
Christianity  are  too  serious  to  be  disregarded. 

Jesus'  warning  to  His  disciples  as  He  was  about 
to  leave  them  is  most  pertinent: 

If  any  man  shall  say  unto  you,  Lo,  here  is  Christ, 
or  there,  believe  it  not.  For  there  shall  arise  false 
Christs  and  false  prophets  and  shall  shew  great  signs 
and  wonders :  insomuch  that,  if  it  were  possible,  they 
shall  deceive  the  very  elect.  Behold  I  have  told  you 
before      [Matt.  24:  23-24]. 


IV 

NON-SENSE  HEALING 

WHEN  the  subject  of  healing  is  reached 
the  main  problem  of  Christian  Science 
is  confronted.  All  that  precedes  and 
all  that  follows  center  here.  For  Christian 
Science  is  essentially  a  system  of  healing.  It  was 
born  out  of  Mrs.  Eddy's  search  for  health  and  her 
visits  to  Mr.  P.  P.  Quimby.  And  its  present  life 
and  growth  can  be  traced  to  this  same  feature  of 
the  movement.  The  great  majority  of  its  con- 
verts are  won  by  its  confident  and  sweeping  prom- 
ises of  cures.  So  that  Christian  Science  can 
never  be  successfully  combated  until  this  branch 
of  the  subject  is  thoroughly  understood  and  ap- 
praised. 

At  this  juncture  we  are  not  going  to  discuss  the 
question  as  to  whether  Christian  Science  actually 
does  heal  the  sick.  This  is  simply  a  question  of 
fact,  and  must  in  each  specific  case  be  proved  by 
evidence;  and  this  evidence  must  be  supported  by 
those  who  know  enough  about  disease  to  decide 
whether  the  patient  originally  had  the  disease  of 
which  the  cure  is  predicated,  and  whether  the  con- 
dition after  the  alleged  cure  justifies  this  claim. 
Of  course  it  is  self-evident  that  Christian  Scien- 

109 


110  THE  NON-SENSE  OP  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

tists,  by  virtue  of  their  fundamental  opposition  to 
all  knowledge  of  physiology,  disease,  and  diagno- 
sis, are  voluntarily  disqualified  from  furnishing 
any  evidence  upon  these  two  most  important 
points  and  their  testimony  is  of  necessity  utterly 
worthless. 

The  phase  of  the  subject  which  directly  con- 
cerns us  is  Mrs.  Eddy's  claim  that  her  particular 
system  of  healing  should  be  adopted,  because  it  is 
divine  and  heals  as  Jesus  did.  If  this  is  true  it 
certainly  does  merit  the  support  of  all  Christians. 
Over  and  over  again,  in  Science  and  Health,  she 
presses  this  point.  It  is  well  presented  in  this 
passage: 

There  are  various  methods  of  treating  disease, 
which  are  not  included  in  the  commonly  accepted 
systems ;  but  there  is  only  one  which  should  be  pre- 
sented to  the  whole  world,  and  that  is  the  Christian 
Science  which  Jesus  preached  and  practiced  and  left 
us  as  his  rich  legacy  [p.  344]. 

Is  this  non-sense  system  of  healing  the  method 
of  treating  disease  "  which  Jesus  preached  and 
practiced  and  left  us  as  his  rich  legacy ''  ?  Upon 
the  answer  to  this  question  hangs  Mrs.  Eddy's 
only  remaining  excuse  for  calling  it  "  Christian." 
Before  we  can  arrive  at  the  correct  answer  to  this 
important  question  it  will  be  necessary  to  separate 
the  two  distinct  features  of  this  system  of  healing, 
the  religious  and  the  medical,  so  that  each  receives 
proper  consideration.     By  a  pretty  bit  of  strategy 


KOK-SENSE  HEALIKG  111 

Mrs.  Eddy  plays  these  two  over  against  each  other 
in  such  a  clever  way  that  each  gains  a  certain 
amount  of  immunity  from  criticism  which  it 
would  not  otherwise  enjoy.  It  is  done  this  way. 
When  the  subject  of  healing  is  under  discussion 
its  religious  and  spiritual  character  is  particularly 
stressed,  so  that  the  physician  who  starts  to  handle 
the  subject  soon  finds  himself  tangled  up  in  the 
unfamiliar  problems  of  theology.  And  when  the 
theologian  begins  to  discuss  its  Christianity,  he 
finds  himself  drawn  off  into  the  unfamiliar  field 
of  medical  science.  This  shrewd  scheme  of  de- 
coying the  specialists  away  from  their  own  fields 
has  protected  the  whole  subject  from  competent 
investigation,  and  the  exposure  which  would  in- 
evitably follow. 

The  Historic  Church  Healing  the  Sick,  Let  us 
return  again  to  Mrs.  Eddy's  challenge  to  the  his- 
toric church.  This  is  pressed  even  more  insist- 
ently in  this  charge: 

The  Christian  opponents  of  Christian  Science 
neither  give  nor  offer  any  proofs  that  their  Master's 
religion  can  heal  the  sick  [p.  354]. 

This  particular  challenge  historic  Christianity 
IS  pleased  to  accept.  For  healing  the  sick  is  a 
clear-cut  proposition,  and  Christianity  is  not 
ashamed  of  its  long  ministry  of  healing.  To  the 
inspiration  of  its  religious  faith  humanity  owes 
its  revolutionized  attitude  toward  the  sick  and  the 


112  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTI  AN  SCIENCE 

suffering,  so  that  now  even  the  dumb  animals  re- 
ceive consideration  and  help  which,  when  Jesus 
came,  was  denied  to  human  beings.  The  intro- 
duction of  the  little  word  "  can  "  for  the  word 
"  does ''  is  the  principal  cause  of  most  of  the  con- 
fusion in  our  thinking,  which  Mrs.  Eddy  intro- 
duces at  this  point.  It  is  not  a  question  of  "  can  " 
but  of  "  does."  Christian  Science  is  strong  in 
talking  about  what  it  "  can  "  do  along  the  line  of 
healing  the  sick.  The  historic  church  has  been 
content  quietly  to  carry  on  its  great  ministry  of 
healing.  That  the  sick  have  been  healed  all  down 
through  the  Christian  centuries  in  increasing  num- 
bers no  one  can  deny.  The  precise  method  by 
which  this  healing  has  been  wrought  is  another 
question.  Surely  Mrs.  Eddy  would  not  have  us 
believe  that  anywhere  Jesus  specifically  com- 
manded His  disciples  to  adopt  the  Christian 
Science  method  of  healing.  If  any  specific  method 
is  mentioned  in  the  Gospels  it  is  that  of  "  laying 
on  of  hands,"  and  using  oil  as  medicine,  and  this 
particular  method  is  diametrically  opposed  to 
Christian  Science  principles.  It  is  most  signifi- 
cant that  when  Mark  reports  the  results  of  the 
mission  upon  which  Jesus  sent  His  newly  chosen 
apostles  he  says: 

And  they  went  out,  and  preached  that  men  should 
repent.  And  they  cast  out  many  devils,  and  anointed 
with  oil  many  that  were  sick  and  healed  them 
[Mark  6: 12-13]. 


NON-SENSE  HEALING  113 

But  it  is  the  fact  of  healing,  not  the  method, 
which  Mrs.  Eddy  now  challenges. 

No  one  can  deny  that  since  the  time  of  Jesus 
Christ  the  science  of  healing  has  experienced  its 
most  marvellous  development.  That  this  devel- 
opment has  been  fostered  and  advanced  through 
the  agency  of  the  historic  Christian  Church  is 
clearly  evident.  All  the  advantages  which  the 
non-Christian  world  has  come  to  enjoy  along 
this  line  it  owes  to  Christian  missions.  And  all 
of  the  hospitals  and  humanitarian  agencies  at 
work  in  society  to-day  were  bom  of  the  church. 
The  record  of  healing  which  belongs  to  the  his- 
toric church  in  the  twentieth  century,  when  com- 
pared with  that  of  the  first  Christian  century,  or 
any  other  preceding  century,  stands  without  an 
equal.  Greater  things  have  been  done  than  were 
dreamed  possible.  The  simple  record  of  healing 
accomplished  exclusively  through  the  agencies  of 
the  historic  church  to-day,  when  placed  side  by 
side  with  the  much  advertised  achievements  of 
Christian  Science  healing,  leave  the  world  wonder- 
ing why  this  cult  ever  had  the  temerity  to  raise 
this  issue. 

When  it  comes  to  giving  proofs  of  ability  to 
heal,  the  historic  church  is  prepared  to  enter  its 
method  of  healing,  in  any  department  of  pathol- 
ogy, from  chronic  to  acute  diseases,  and  in  sur- 
gery, in  open  competition  with  that  of  Christian 
Science,  at  any  time  and  any  place,  and  thus  dem- 


114  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

onstrate  which  of  the  two  is  best  able  to  cope  with 
disease.  This  challenge,  which  was  made  to  Mrs. 
Eddy  long  years  ago,  has  never  been  accepted  by 
any  generation  of  Christian  Science  practitioners. 
Until  it  is  willing  to  meet  in  open  competition, 
under  fair  test  conditions,  this  challenge,  it  is  in 
no  position  to  accuse  the  historic  church  of  giving 
or  offering  no  proofs  of  its  ability  to  heal.  Its 
"  proofs  "  are  on  call  any  minute.  The  time  has 
come  when  this  fact  should  be  made  plain  to  the 
public. 

Medical  Science  Healing  the  Sick,  But  the  ac- 
cusations which  Mrs.  Eddy  brings  against  the 
historic  Christian  Church  are  nothing  compared 
with  those  which  she  directs  against  medical 
science.  Not  content  to  claim  that  her  system  is 
superior  to  all  others,  simply  because  it  is  divine, 
not  human,  and  for  that  reason,  independently  of 
the  results  it  is  able  to  achieve,  it  ought  to  be 
adopted,  she  turns  upon  medical  science  with  the 
charge  that  it  is  the  greatest  of  all  causes  of  sick- 
ness. This  is  the  stock  indictment  against  medical 
science  brought  by  all  spiritual  systems  of  healing. 
Mrs.  Eddy  makes  this  charge  over  and  over  again 
in  the  pages  of  Science  and  Health.  In  one  place 
she  says: 

Obedience  to  the  so-called  physical  laws  of  health 
has  not  checked  sickness.  Diseases  have  multiplied, 
since  man-made  material  theories  took  the  place  of 
spiritual  truth  [p.  165]. 


NON-SENSE  HEALING  116 

The  chapter  on  Physiology,  in  Science  and 
Health,  opens  with  these  words: 

Physiology  is  one  of  the  apples  from  "  the  tree  of 
knowledge."  Evil  declared  that  eating  this  fruit 
would  open  man's  eyes  and  make  him  as  a  god.  In- 
stead of  so  doing,  it  closed  the  eyes  of  mortals  to 
man's  God-given  dominion  over  the  earth  [p.  165]. 

In  the  third  edition  of  Science  and  Health  we  are 
favoured  with  this  choice  observation: 

It  is  understood  that  the  heathen  nations  are  more 
exempt  from  contagion  than  Christian  nations.  Our 
missionaries  introduce  measles,  smallpox,  etc.,  to  the 
heathen,  but  do  they  show  them  either  by  precept  or 
example  the  Power  of  God,  Truth,  to  prevent  and 
destroy  disease  ?  But  the  poor  heathen,  ignorant  of 
what  is  termed  hygienic  laws,  is  healthier  than  the 
devotees  of  his  supposed  laws.  What  shall  we  think 
of  "  a  law  more  honoured  in  the  breach  than  in  the 
observance  "  [vol.  i,  p.  250]  ? 

We  will  pass  over  this  point  for  a  moment  and 
look  at  the  charge  which  she  lays  at  the  door  of 
our  missionaries.  If  every  one  were  as  ignorant 
as  Mrs.  Eddy  of  the  health  conditions  which  exist 
among  the  heathen  before  the  arrival  of  mission- 
aries, her  argument  might  run  some  chance  of 
being  accepted,  but  any  one  who  is  informed  upon 
this  subject  will  not  be  misled  into  believing  that 
there  is  the  slightest  truth  in  her  statement.  The 
writer's  brother  happened  to  be  the  first  medical 
missionary  to  Arabia,  and  the  first  white  visitor 


116  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

to  the  Behrein  Islands.  And  he  states  that,  upon 
his  first  appearance  in  this  heathen  land,  he  found 
smallpox,  tuberculosis,  lupus,  and  other  forms  of 
epidemic  disease  raging  much  more  destructively 
among  these  people  than  he  had  ever  seen  them 
among  Christian  nations.  Instead  of  individuals, 
whole  villages  were  repeatedly  swept  out  of  ex- 
istence by  a  great  epidemic.  And  the  history  of 
these  particular  diseases  traces  them  all  back  from 
the  more  enlightened  portions  of  the  world  into 
which  they  have  come,  to  their  sources  in  these 
heathen  countries. 

Nor  can  we  let  her  second  accusation  against 
medical  science  pass  unchallenged.  For,  unless 
we  have  the  truth  in  hand,  we  will  get  nowhere. 
This  second  charge  is  well  summed  up  in  these 
words : 

Sickness  has  been  combated  for  centuries  by  doc- 
tors using  material  remedies ;  but  the  question  arises, 
Is  there  less  sickness  because  of  these  practitioners? 
A  vigorous  "  No "  is  the  response  deducible  from 
two  connate  facts, — the  reputed  longevity  of  the  An- 
tediluvians, and  the  rapid  multiplication  and  in- 
ceased  violence  of  diseases  since  the  flood  [p.  viii]. 

We  will  allow  the  antediluvians  to  rest  in  peace; 
they  have  already  suffered  enough  at  the  hands  of 
posterity.  It  Is  not  necessary  to  go  back  that  far 
to  prove  that  this  statement  by  Mrs.  Eddy  is  de- 
liberately so  worded  that  it  misrepresents  the  ac- 
tual facts  in  the  case.     There  is  only  one  way  to 


NON-SENSE  HEALING  117 

get  at  the  truth  underlying  this  misrepresentation, 
and  that  is  to  put  her  question  in  the  correct  form 
to  bring  it  out.  Have  the  diseases  upon  which 
medical  science  has  concentrated  its  study  and 
work  increased  or  diminished  in  their  spread  in 
human  society  as  its  knowledge  of  their  origin, 
cause  and  cure  has  become  known?  In  other 
words,  has  knowledge  of  specific  diseases  in- 
creased or  retarded  their  development?  This  is 
the  important  point,  for  the  fundamental  conten- 
tion of  Christian  Science  is  that  knowledge  of  dis- 
ease is  the  chief  cause  of  its  spread. 

When  the  question  is  put  in  this  form  one  im- 
mediately begins  to  think  of  the  various  diseases 
whose  destructive  ravages  have  at  last  been 
checked.  There  is  smallpox,  which  in  Dickens' 
time  scarred  almost  every  other  face,  and  to-day 
the  malignant  form  of  this  disease  has  been  so 
brought  under  control  that  one  rarely  ever  sees  a 
face  pitted  by  it. 

One  thinks  of  typhoid  fever,  which  during  the 
Spanish-American  war  killed  more  of  our  soldiers 
than  bullets.  Since  that  day  medical  science  has 
so  brought  it  under  control  by  serum  treatment 
that  during  the  Mexican  trouble  it  was  a  negligible 
factor,  and  when  two  million  of  our  boys  were 
sent  over  to  France,  where  in  that  war-swept  land 
polluted  water  and  the  most  dangerous  unsanitary 
conditions  confronted  them,  not  a  single  serious 
epidemic  occurred.     The  prophylactic  measures. 


118    THE  NON-SENSE  OP  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

the  careful  sanitary  safeguards  thrown  about  the 
camps,  the  chemically  purified  water,  the  careful 
inspection  of  meat,  and  a  thousand  other  precau- 
tions which  medical  science  enabled  those  in  com- 
mand to  establish,  saved  thousands  of  lives,  and 
proved  beyond  peradventure  the  effectiveness  of 
these  measures. 

One  thinks  of  the  ravages  which  tetanus  would 
naturally  have  wrought  with  poisoned  bullets  and 
shrapnel  wounds.  The  writer  was  with  the  am- 
bulance section  of  the  Rainbow  Division  and 
watched  the  faithfulness  with  which  every 
wounded  man  who  came  to  the  dressing  stations 
was  immediately  injected  with  "A.  T.  S./*  and 
so  saved  from  that  terrible  disease.  That  record 
alone  is  a  modern  miracle. 

One  thinks  of  yellow  fever.  When  the  Panama 
canal  was  first  started  the  work  upon  it  had  to  be 
temporarily  abandoned,  for  Americans  could  not 
live  under  the  extremely  unsanitary  conditions 
which  then  existed  there.  Now  expert  sanitary 
engineers  have  transformed  it  into  an  ideal  spot 
so  far  as  its  sanitary  conditions  are  concerned. 
And  yellow  fever  has  not  only  been  driven  from 
that  locality,  but  the  commission  appointed  to  dis- 
cover Its  cause  has  pursued  It  relentlessly  until  not 
only  has  the  guilty  stegomyia  mosquito  which 
transmits  the  Infection  been  discovered,  but  it  has 
been  driven  from  stronghold  to  stronghold  until 
the  very  last  pest  spot  in  South  America,  where  it 


NON-SENSE  HEALING  119 

was  endemic,  has  been  unearthed  and  cleaned  up. 
So  that  within  the  last  year  the  late  Major-Gen- 
eral William  C.  Gorgas  reported  that  he  believed 
the  last  trace  of  the  disease  had  been  eradicated, 
and  the  yellow  fever  menace  brought  to  a  definite 
end. 

Surely  such  achievements  cannot  be  ignored  or 
denied.  These  are  but  a  few  samples  from  a  long 
list  of  diseases  which  advancing  medical  science 
is  rapidly  banishing  from  civilized  society.  They 
must  have  escaped  the  notice  of  Mrs.  Eddy. 
What  humanity  owes  to-day  to  this  increasing 
medical  knowledge  and  skill,  to  proper  sewerage, 
protected  water  supplies,  clean  milk  dairies,  and 
the  thousand  and  one  other  safeguards  which  it 
has  built  around  the  health  of  our  daily  life  will 
never  be  fully  known. 

In  the  sense  world  in  which  we  live  the  average 
of  human  life  has  been  lengthened  more  than  fif- 
teen years,  and  the  world  has  been  steadily  grow- 
ing more  healthful.  Christian  civilization  under 
the  control  of  medical  science  is  ready  to  have  its 
standard  of  health  compared  with  any  nation 
where  medical  science  is  unknown  and  the  In- 
habitants have  been  protected  from  the  ravages  of 
its  disastrous  knowledge.  Here  again  Christian 
Science  is  unable  to  produce  the  least  evidence  in 
support  of  Mrs.  Eddy's  fundamental  statement. 
All  of  these  facts  must  be  kept  clearly  in  mind  as 
this  study  begins.     For  from  the  beginning  to 


120  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

the  end  of  Science  and  Health  Mrs.  Eddy  is 
forever  endeavouring  to  obscure  them  by  half- 
truths. 

We  are  now  prepared  to  take  up  the  previous 
question  raised  by  the  claim  that  Christian  Science 
heals  as  Jesus  did.  The  only  way  to  obtain  cor- 
rect information  upon  this  point  is  to  get  clearly 
in  mind  both  the  Christian  Science  method  of 
healing  the  sick  and  Jesus*  method;  then  place 
these  two  side  by  side  and  see  how  they  tally. 

There  are  two  other  systems  of  healing,  quite 
different  from  each  other,  both  of  which  are  be- 
ing perpetually  confused  with  Christian  Science. 
Mrs.  Eddy  was  just  as  anxious  as  we  are  to  keep 
her  system  distinct  from  them.  But  still  the  mis- 
tmderstanding  persists. 

It  is  not  Faith  Cure,  Because  it  piously  uses 
the  words  of  religion,  and  talks  about  "  God  the 
only  healer,"  and  speaks  of  relying  only  upon  Him 
for  help  instead  of  upon  drugs,  many  are  deluded 
into  imagining  that  it  is  akin  to  ancient  faith  cure. 
But  any  such  idea  is  decidedly  wrong.  For  faith 
cure  depends  upon  the  exercise  of  mortal  mind 
and  mortal  faith,  and  both  of  these  are  human 
agents  whose  help  cannot  avail.  In  faith  cure 
one  prays  in  definite  petition  to  God  for  healing, 
and  if  one's  faith  is  strong  enough  the  healing  is 
held  to  come  in  answer  to  prayer.  But  in  Chris- 
tian Science  petition  in  prayer  to  a  personal  God 
is  not  allowed,  and  it  cannot  possibly  avail  if  in- 


NON-SENSE  HEALING  121 

dulged.  Upon  this  point  Mrs.  Eddy  leaves  no 
chance  for  doubt.     She  says: 

"  The  prayer  of  faith  shall  save  the  sick,"  says  the 
Scripture.  What  is  this  healing  prayer?  A  mere 
request  that  God  will  heal  the  sick  has  no  power  to 
gain  more  of  the  divine  presence  than  is  always  at 
hand.  The  beneficial  effect  of  such  prayer  for  the 
sick  is  on  the  human  mind,  making  it  act  more  pow- 
erfully on  the  body  through  a  blind  faith  in  God. 
This,  however,  is  one  belief  casting  out  another — a 
belief  in  the  unknown  casting  out  a  belief  in  sickness. 
It  is  neither  Science  nor  Truth  which  acts  through 
Wind  belief.  *  *  *  Prayer  to  a  corporeal  God 
affects  the  sick  like  a  drug,  which  has  no  efficacy  of 
its  own  but  borrows  its  power  from  human  faith  and 
belief.  *  *  ♦  The  common  custom  of  praying 
for  the  recovery  of  the  sick  finds  help  in  blind  belief, 
whereas  help  should  come  from  the  enlightened  un- 
derstanding. *  *  *  Does  Deity  interpose  in  be- 
half of  one  worshipper,  and  not  help  another  who 
offers  the  same  measure  of  prayer?  If  the  sick  re- 
cover because  they  pray  or  are  prayed  for  audibly, 
only  petitioners  {per  se  or  by  proxy)  should  get 
well  [p.  12]. 

This  whole  subject  of  praying  for  the  recovery 
of  the  sick  is  summed  up  in  this  unmistakable 
passage: 

Who  would  stand  before  a  blackboard,  and  pray 
the  principle  of  mathematics  to  solve  the  problem? 
The  rule  is  already  established,  and  it  is  our  task  to 
work  out  the  solution.  Shall  we  ask  the  divine  Prin-- 
ciple  of  all  goodness  to  do  His  own  work?  His 
work  is  done,  and  we  have  only  to  avail  ourselves  of 


122  THE  NON-SENSE  OP  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

God's  rule  in  order  to  receive  His  blessing,  which 
enables  us  to  work  out  our  own  salvation  [p.  3]. 

From  the  above  passages  it  is  clearly  evident  that 
Mrs.  Eddy  does  not  believe  that  "  the  prayer  of 
faith  shall  save  the  sick  and  the  Lord  will  raise 
him  up."  For  both  prayer  and  faith  are  products 
of  mortal  mind,  and  *'  affect  the  sick  like  a  drug." 
"  This,  however,  is  one  belief  casting  out  another. 
*  *  *  It  is  neither  Science  nor  Truth."  It 
would  be  hard  to  get  a  statement  plainer  than  that. 
Yet  many  Christian  Scientists  do  not  seem  to 
understand  this  point. 

It  is  not  Mind  Cure,  Christian  Science  has  a 
great  variety  of  appeals.  It  deceives  the  pious 
into  thinking  that  it  is  akin  to  faith  cure,  and  then 
swings  clear  over  to  the  other  extreme  and  equally 
well  deceives  the  practical  rationalists  into  believ- 
ing that  it  is  some  sensible  kind  of  mind  cure.  It 
is  often  remarked:  "Well,  I  agree  with  Christian 
Science  to  the  extent  that  the  mind  has  a  great  in- 
fluence upon  the  body."  The  truth  is  that  any 
one  who  makes  such  a  remark  does  not  agree  with 
Christian  Science  at  all.  For  mind,  your  mind, 
the  human  mind,  is  mortal  mind,  and  one  of  the 
most  dangerous  of  all  healing  agents.  Again  and 
again  Mrs.  Eddy  tries  to  make  this  fact  clear,  but 
the  general  public  do  not  seem  to  be  able  to  grasp 
it.     She  says: 

Many  imagine  that   the  phenomena   of  physical 


NON-SENSE  HEALING  123 

healing  in  Christian  Science  present  only  a  phase  of 
the  action  of  the  human  mind,  which  action  in  some 
unexplained  way  results  in  the  cure  of  disease.  On 
the  contrary,  Christian  Science  rationally  explains 
that  all  other  pathological  methods  are  the  fruits  of 
human  faith  in  matter, — faith  in  the  workings,  not 
of  Spirit,  but  of  the  fleshly  mind  which  must  yield 
to  Science  [p.  xi]. 

Again  she  says: 

Any  attempt  to  heal  mortals  with  erring  mortal 
mind,  instead  of  resting  on  the  omnipotence  of  the 
divine  Mind,  must  prove  abortive.  Committing  the 
bare  process  of  mental  healing  to  frail  mortals,  un- 
taught and  unrestrained  by  Christian  Science,  is  like 
putting  a  sharp  knife  into  the  hands  of  a  blind  man 
or  a  raging  maniac,  and  turning  him  loose  in  the 
crowded  streets  of  a  city  [p.  459]. 

Another  most  explicit  statement  is  the  following: 

^  The  first  edition  of  Science  and  Health  was  pub- 
lished in  1875.  Various  books  on  mental  healing 
have  since  been  issued,  most  of  them  incorrect  in 
theory  and  filled  with  plagiarisms  from  Science  and 
Health.  They  regard  the  human  mind  as  a  healing 
agent,  whereas  this  mind  is  not  a  factor  in  the  Prin- 
ciple of  Christian  Science  [p.  x]. 

We  do  not  know  how  Mrs.  Eddy  could  put  that 
point  any  plainer  than  to  say  that  the  systems  of 
healing  which  "  regard  the  human  mind  as  a  heal- 
ing agent  "  are  incorrect  in  theory.  "  This  mind 
is  not  a  factor  in  the  Principle  of  Christian 
Science.'*     Yet  many  Christian  Scientists,  and  the 


124  THE  NON-SElirSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

public  in  general,  speak  of  Christian  Science  heal- 
ing as  though  it  were  a  system  of  healing  which 
made  intelligent  and  practical  use  of  the  influence 
of  the  mind  upon  the  body.  Mrs.  Eddy  herself 
tells  us  that,  of  the  two,  medical  science  is  to  be 
preferred  before  mind  cure.  Attempting  to  cure 
disease  by  the  use  of  the  human  mind  is  not  only 
as  dangerous  as  placing  a  sharp  knife  in  the  hands 
of  a  raving  maniac  and  turning  him  loose  in  the 
crowded  streets  of  a  city,  it  is  positively  wicked  to 
indulge  in  such  a  practice.  This  remarkable  ar- 
raignment of  mind  cure  she  gives  in  this  passage: 

The  distance  from  ordinary  medical  practice  to 
Christian  Science  is  full  many  a  league  in  the  line  of 
light ;  but  to  go  in  healing  from  the  use  of  inanimate 
drugs  to  the  criminal  misuse  of  human  will-power, 
is  to  drop  from  the  platform  of  common  manhood 
into  the  very  mire  of  iniquity,  to  work  against  the 
free  course  of  honesty  and  justice,  and  to  push 
vainly  against  the  current  running  heavenward 
[p.  io5f.]. 

It  has  been  necessary  to  correct  the  general  im- 
pression concerning  the  relation  of  Christian 
Science  to  faith  cure  and  mind  cure,  for  there 
exists  an  amazing  amount  of  misunderstanding  at 
these  points.  Neither  human  faith  nor  the  human 
mind  are  factors  in  the  principle  of  Christian 
Science  healing.  There  are  systems  of  healing  in 
which  each  of  these  factors  play  important  parts, 
but  Christian  Science  does  not  recogrnize  them.    Is 


NON-SENSE  HEALING  126 

it  not  a  strange  thing  that,  notwithstanding  this 
fact,  people  will  persist  in  giving  Christian 
Science  credit  for  a  belief  which  it  repudiates,  and 
will  condemn  orthodox  medical  science  because  it 
does  not  make  more  use  of  an  idea  which  it  has 
been  sympathetically  employing  these  many  years? 
It  has  Nothing  hi  Common  with  Orthodox 
Medical  Science,  The  same  hostility  which  is 
held  against  faith  cure  and  mind  cure  is  main- 
tained against  every  department  of  orthodox  med- 
ical science.  As  Mrs.  Eddy  has  already  in- 
formed us: 

Christian  Science  rationally  explains  that  all  other 
pathological  methods  are  the  fruits  of  human  faith 
in  matter, — faith  in  the  workings,  not  of  Spirit,  but 
of  the  fleshly  mind  which  must  yield  to  Science. 

To  be  sure  that  there  may  be  no  failure  to  ap- 
preciate how  thoroughgoing  this  demand  is,  Mrs. 
Eddy  takes  up  one  by  one  the  cherished  depart- 
ments of  medical  science  and  specifically  condemns 
each  one  as  hostile  to  Christian  Science. 

Physiology.  We  have  already  seen  how  physi- 
ology has  been  described  as  the  forbidden  fruit  of 
the  tree  of  knowledge,  of  which  we  eat  upon  pain 
of  death.  In  another  place  we  have  this  accusa- 
tion: 

Treatises  on  anatomy,  physiology,  and  health,  sus- 
tained by  what  is  termed  material  law,  are  the  pro- 
moters of  sickness  and  disease  [p.  179]. 


126  THE  NON-SENSE  OP  CHKISTIAN  SCIENCE 

Hygiene,  The  companion  of  physiology  is  hy- 
giene.    Of  this  Mrs.  Eddy  says: 

The  less  we  know  or  think  about  hygiene,  the  less 
we  are  predisposed  to  sickness  [p.  389]. 

In  another  place  she  remarks: 

The  daily  ablutions  of  an  infant  are  no  more 
natural  nor  necessary  than  would  be  the  process  of 
taking  a  fish  out  of  water  every  day  and  covering  it 
with  dirt  in  order  to  make  it  thrive  more  vigorously 
in  its  own  element.  *  *  *  Water  is  not  the 
natural  habitat  of  humanity  [p.  413]. 

We  will  conclude  this  subject  with  this  final 
summing  up: 

A  Christian  Scientist  never  recommends  material 
hygiene  [p.  453]. 

Laws  of  Health.  From  what  we  have  already 
learned  concerning  physiology  and  hygiene  it 
naturally  follows  that  laws  of  health  fall  under 
the  same  ban.  The  recklessness  with  which  Mrs. 
Eddy  advises  people  to  disregard  all  the  laws  of 
health  makes  one  wonder  just  what  would  be  the 
consequences  if  Christian  Scientists  took  her  ad- 
vice seriously.  We  believe  one  of  the  most 
complete  statements  upon  this  point  is  found  in 
an  allegory  which  Mrs.  Eddy  has  placed  at  the 
close  of  the  chapter  on  Christian  Science  Prac- 
tice. It  represents  a  man  brought  into  the  court 
of  Health,  charged  with  having  committed  liver 
complaint.     We  have  space  to  give  but  a   few 


m 


NON-SENSE  HEALING  127 

quotations.     The  Christian  Science  verdict  runs 
as  follows: 

If  liver  complaint  was  committed  by  trampling  on 
Laws  of  Health,  this  was  a  good  deed,  for  the  agent 
of  those  laws  is  an  outlaw,  a  destroyer  of  Mortal 
Man's  liberty  and  rights.  Laws  of  Health  should  be 
sentenced  to  die  [p.  435]. 

According  to  our  statute,  Material  Law  is  a  liar 
who  cannot  bear  witness  against  Mortal  Man. 
*  *  *  Our  law  refuses  to  recognize  Man  as  sick 
and  dying.  *  *  *  We  further  recommend  that 
Materia  Medica  adopt  Christian  Science,  and  that 
Health-laws,  Mesmerism,  Hypnotism,  Oriental 
Witchcraft,  and  Esoteric  Magic  be  publicly  executed 
at  the  hands  of  our  sheriff,  Progress.  *  *  *  The 
plaintiff.  Personal  Sense,  is  recorded  in  our  Book  of 
Books  as  a  liar.  Our  great  teacher  of  mental  juris- 
prudence speaks  of  him  also  as  a  **  murderer  from 
the  beginning."  We  have  no  trials  for  sickness  be- 
fore the  tribunal  of  divine  Spirit.  Man  is  adjudged 
innocent  of  transgressing  physical  laws,  because 
there  are  no  such  laws  [p.  441  f.]. 

Sanitation.  Just  one  quotation  will  give  the 
trend  of  Mrs.  Eddy's  consistent  attitude  toward 
the  great  defender  of  public  health — sanitation. 
She  says: 

When  there  are  fewer  prescriptions,  and  less 
thought  is  given  to  sanitary  subjects,  there  will  be 
better  constitutions  and  less  disease  [p.  175]. 

Diagnosis.  The  attempt  to  ascertain,  by 
knowledge  of  physiology  and  the  symptoms  mani- 
fested, the  nature  and  cause  of  disease  is  heartily 


128  THE  NON-SENSE  OP  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

discouraged  by  Mrs.  Eddy,  because  such  a  prac- 
tice, instead  of  facilitating  the  cure,  tends  to  in- 
duce disease.  Of  this  scientific  procedure  she 
says: 

A  physical  diagnosis  of  disease — since  mortal 
mind  must  be  the  cause  of  disease — tends  to  induce 
disease    *     *    * 

The  opposition  to  diagnosis  is  here  so  clearly  ex- 
pressed that  it  is  not  necessary  to  spend  more 
time  upon  it. 

Drugs  and  Almighty  God.  Christian  Science 
derives  one  of  its  strongest  arguments  for  the  re- 
ligious and  spiritual  character  of  its  healing  from 
its  rejection  of  drugs.  Mrs.  Eddy  loses  no  op- 
portunity to  turn  this  move  to  religious  account. 
She  is  constantly  emphasizing  this  point.  She 
says: 

The  schools  have  rendered  faith  in  drugs  the 
fashion,  rather  than  faith  in  Deity  [p.  146]. 

In  another  place  she  puts  the  idea  in  these  v^rords: 

If  you  do  believe  in  God,  why  do  you  substitute 
drugs  for  the  Almighty's  power  [p.  218]  ? 

This  appeal  reaches  down  to  the  elemental  re- 
ligious instincts  and,  to  some,  becomes  quite  im- 
pressive. But  its  effectiveness  is  wholly  derived 
from  the  illegitimate  practice  of  arraying  God  and 
drugs  in  a  position  of  false  opposition.  For  God 
and  drugs  do  not  become  competitors  or  rivals 
until  you  have  first  accepted  Mrs.  Eddy's  non- 


NON-SENSE  HEALING  129 

sense  science  theory  that  Spirit  cannot  and  does 
not  work  through  or  with  matter.  Mrs.  Eddy- 
never  ventures  to  attack  the  use  of  drugs  from  an 
empirical  standpoint.  She  always  approaches  this 
subject  from  the  theoretical  angle,  that  God  can- 
not work  through  drugs  because  they  are  material. 
This  categorical  limitation  of  the  power  of  God 
is  imposed  by  the  necessities  of  non-sense  science. 
For,  if  it  is  for  one  moment  conceded  that  Spirit 
can  and  does  work  through  and  with  matter,  God 
and  drugs  no  longer  continue  to  be  rivals,  but 
allies,  for  God  can  work  through  drugs  to  heal  the 
sick. 

Studying  Disease  in  the  Non-Sense  Science 
School.  You  ask:  What  is  the  nature  and  cause 
of  disease?  Mrs.  Eddy  boils  it  all  down  into  this 
one  sentence: 

A  false  belief  is  both  *  *  *  the  disease  and 
its  cause  [p.  393]. 

Let  us  take  a  couple  of  concrete  cases  and  see  how 
this  false  belief  does  the  deed.  Here  is  the  whole 
story  in  a  nutshell: 

You  say  you  have  not  slept  well  or  have  overeaten. 
You  are  a  law  unto  yourself.  Saying  this  and  be- 
lieving it,  you  will  suffer  in  proportion  to  your  belief 
and  fear.  Your  sufferings  are  not  the  penalty  for 
having  broken  a  law  of  matter,  for  it  is  a  law  of 
mortal  mind  you  have  disobeyed  [p.  385]. 

Let  us  get  a  little  more  light  upon  this  subject  of 


130   THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHBISTIAN  SCIENCE 

indigestion.  For  Mrs.  Eddy  deals  with  it  quite 
thoroughly.     We  read  in  another  place: 

If  a  random  thought,  calling  itself  dyspepsia,  had 
tried  to  tyrannize  over  our  forefathers,  it  would  have 
been  routed  by  their  independence  and  industry 
[p.  175]. 

This  point  is  carried  one  step  further  in  this 
passage: 

We  are  told  that  the  simple  food  our  forefathers 
ate  helped  to  make  them  healthy,  but  that  is  a  mis- 
take. Their  diet  would  not  cure  dyspepsia  at  this 
period.  With  rules  of  health  in  the  head  and  the 
most  digestible  food  in  the  stomach  there  would  still 
be  dyspeptics  [p.  197]. 

There  is  no  excuse  for  not  understanding  the 
philosophy  of  non-sense  healing  when  the  cause  of 
disease  is  made  so  plain.  Not  indigestible  food  in 
the  stomach,  but  rules  of  health  in  the  head,  are 
the  cause  of  indigestion.  How  then  shall  it  be 
cured?     Mrs.  Eddy  says: 

In  seeking  a  cure  for  dyspepsia  consult  matter  not 
at  all,  and  eat  what  is  set  before  you,  "  asking  no 
question  for  conscience  sake."  We  must  destroy  the 
false  belief  that  life  and  intelligence  are  in  matter 

[p.  222f.]. 

It  IS  very  apparent  that  from  the  standpoint  of 
non-sense  healing  the  important  thing  is  to  keep 
the  "  rules  of  health  "  out  of  the  head,  and  then 
anything  can  be  put  into  the  stomach,  and  any 


m. 


NON-SENSE  HEALING  131 

amount.  Mrs.  Eddy  goes  to  the  very  root  of  this 
whole  problem  of  dyspepsia  when  she  says: 

Admit  the  common  hypothesis  that  food  is  the 
nutriment  of  life,  and  there  follows  the  necessity  for 
another  admission  in  the  opposite  direction — that 
food  has  power  to  destroy  Life,  God,  through  a  de- 
ficiency or  an  excess,  a  quality  or  quantity.  This  is 
a  specimen  of  the  ambiguous  nature  of  all  material 
health-theories  [p.  388]. 

Mrs.  Eddy  is  correct  in  making  this  point.  There- 
fore non-sense  science  is  forced  to  take  the  oppo- 
site position,  which  is  done  without  the  least  hesi- 
tation.    So  Mrs.  Eddy  says: 

The  fact  is,  food  does  not  affect  the  absolute  Life 
of  man  [p.  388]. 

So  that  when  Christian  Science  finally  comes  into 
its  own,  not  only  will  marriage  become  unneces- 
sary, as  we  have  seen,  but  also: 

In  that  perfect  day  of  understanding,  we  shall 
neither  eat  to  live,  nor  live  to  eat  [p.  388]. 

Thirst.  Like  hunger,  thirst  also  is  the  creature 
of  thought.     Concerning  this  Mrs.  Eddy  says: 

You  say  or  think,  because  you  have  partaken  of 
salt  fish,  that  you  must  be  thirsty,  and  you  are  thirsty 
accordingly,  while  the  opposite  belief  would  produce 
the  opposite  result  [p.  385]. 

In  the  sense  world  where  one  notes  the  series 
of  chemical  changes  which  salt  produces  in  the 
mouth  and  its  secretions,  thus  creating  the  sensa- 


132  THE  NON-SENSE  OP-CHRISTIAK  SCIENCE 

tion  called  thirst,  it  appears  a  happy  coincidence 
that  the  human  mind,  when  it  arbitrarily  chose  to 
invest  some  chemical  compound  with  the  power 
to  create  thirst,  hit  upon  salt  rather  than  water. 
But  if  "  the  opposite  belief  would  produce  the 
opposite  result,'*  we  wonder  why  a  group  of 
Christian  Scientists  do  not  go  off  somewhere  by 
themselves  and  by  a  conspiracy  of  belief  against 
this  combination  of  salt  and  thirst  demonstrate 
the  truth  of  Mrs.  Eddy's  statement  by  investing 
water  with  the  power  to  create  thirst  and  salt  with 
the  power  to  quench  it.  But  as  simple  of  demon- 
stration as  Mrs.  Eddy's  statements  are,  her  fol- 
lowers never  seem  to  be  ready  to  prove  them  true. 
Contagion.  We  have  already  given  some  study 
to  epidemic  diseases,  and  have  shown  what  ortho- 
dox medical  science  regards  as  their  cause  and 
cure.  The  non-sense  science  idea  is  very  differ- 
ent. It  holds  that  thought  alone  is  the  cause  of 
all  contagion.     Upon  this  point  Mrs.  Eddy  says: 

We  weep  because  others  weep,  we  yawn  because 
they  yawn,  and  we  have  smallpox  because  others 
have  it;  but  mortal  mind,  not  matter,  contains  and 
carries  the  infection.  When  this  mental  contagion 
is  understood,  we  shall  be  more  careful  of  our  men- 
tal conditions,  and  we  shall  avoid  loquacious  tattling 
about  disease,  as  we  would  avoid  advocating  crime 
[p.  153]. 

Those  who  live  in  a  sense  world  find  it  some* 
what  difficult  to  accept  this  explanation,  for  dirt 


NON-SENSE  HEALING  133 

and  germs,  when  removed,  have  wrought  such 
wonderful  miracles  in  eliminating  so  many  con- 
tagious diseases.  But  granting  that  we  do  weep, 
yawn,  and  have  smallpox  because  others  do  so, 
what  puzzles  us  is  this:  Who  first  started  this 
endless  cycle  of  weeps  and  yawns  and  smallpox? 
What  made  the  first  man  weep,  yawn  or  have 
smallpox?  But  this  is  sense  again  trying  to  in- 
trude with  its  demands  into  a  non-sense  world. 

The  Therapeutic  of  Non-Sense  Science.  Hav- 
ing now  familiarized  ourselves  with  the  general 
outlines  of  the  nature  and  cause  of  all  disease,  we 
are  prepared  to  study  the  authoritative  and  cor- 
rect method  of  healing.  Non-sense  science  is  per- 
fectly consistent  at  this  point.  Since  a  "  false 
belief  is  both  the  disease  and  its  cause,"  the  way 
to  effect  a  cure  is  simply  to  get  rid  of  the  "  false 
belief."     Mrs.  Eddy  puts  it  this  way: 

The  efficient  remedy  is  to  destroy  the  patient's 
false  belief  by  both  silently  and  audibly  arguing  the 
true  facts  in  regard  to  harmonious  being — represent- 
ing man  as  healthy  instead  of  diseased,  and  showing 
that  it  is  impossible  for  matter  to  suffer,  feel  pain 
or  heat,  to  be  thirsty  or  sick  [p.  376]. 

This  one  passage  gives  us  the  whole  secret  of  non- 
sense healing.  It  would  be  hard  to  improve  upon 
it.  Let  us  take  three  concrete  cases,  and  see  how 
it  works.     As  to  boils  and  fevers: 

You  say  a  boil  is  painful;  but  that  is  impossible, 
for  matter  without  mind  is  not  painful.    The  boil 


134   THE  NON-SENSE  OP  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

simply  manifests,  through  inflammation  and  swell- 
ing, a  belief  in  pain,  and  this  belief  is  called  a  boil. 
Now  administer  mentally  to  your  patient  a  high  at- 
tenuation of  truth,  and  it  will  soon  cure  the  boil 

[p.  153]. 

Fevers  are  errors  of  various  types.  The  quick- 
ened pulse,  coated  tongue,  febrile  heat,  dry  skin,  pain 
in  the  head  and  limbs,  are  pictures  drawn  on  the 
body  by  a  mortal  mind  [p.  379]. 

Now  for  the  remedy: 

Chills  and  heat  are  often  the  form  in  which  fever 
manifests  itself.  Change  the  mental  state,  and  the 
chills  and  fever  disappear  [p.  375]. 

As  to  a  sprain: 

If  you  sprain  the  muscle  or  wound  the  flesh,  your 
remedy  is  at  hand.  Mind  decides  whether  or  not  the 
flesh  shall  be  discoloured,  painful,  swollen,  and  in- 
flamed [p.  385]. 

To  guard  against  the  possibility  of  any  misun- 
derstanding upon  this  important  point,  we  will 
now  allow  Mrs.  Eddy  to  give  us  a  practical  illus- 
tration of  the  exact  procedure  of  the  Christian 
Science  method  of  treating  disease.  We  will  take 
the  two  well-known  diseases,  consumption  and  in- 
sanity.    Here  are  her  specific  directions: 

If  the  case  to  be  mentally  treated  is  consumption, 
take  up  the  leading  points  included  (according  to  be- 
lief) in  this  disease.  Show  that  it  Is  not  Inherited; 
that  inflammation,  tubercles,  hemorrhage,  and  de- 
composition are  beliefs,  images  of  mortal  thought 
superimposed  upon  the  body;  that  they  are  not  the 


NON-SENSE  HEALING  135' 

truth  of  man;  that  they  should  be  treated  as  error* 
and  put  out  of  thought.  Then  these  ills  will  disap- 
pear [p.  425]. 

This  method  of  treating  tuberculosis  is  cer- 
tainly much  simpler,  quicker,  and  less  expensive 
than  the  present  fresh  air,  diet,  and  rest  cure  of 
orthodox  medical  science.  The  writer  has  for 
many  years  watched  this  treatment  applied  to  tu- 
berculosis patients,  and  has  discovered  that  it  is 
more  difficult  to  convince  the  obstinate  mind  of 
the  patient  of  these  errors  of  belief  than  to  cure 
the  patient  of  tuberculosis.  For  in  every  case 
which  he  has  particularly  watched,  the  patient, 
though  pronounced  cured  by  the  Christian  Science 
healer,  has  always,  within  a  short  time,  died  of 
the  disease. 

Concerning  insanity  Mrs.  Eddy  says: 

The  treatment  of  insanity  is  especially  interesting. 
However  obstinate  the  case,  it  yields  more  readily 
than  do  most  diseases  to  the  salutary  action  of  truth, 
which  counteracts  error.  The  arguments  to  be  used 
in  curing  insanity  are  the  same  as  in  other  diseases : 
namely,  the  impossibility  that  matter,  brain,  can  con- 
trol or  derange  mind,  can  suffer  or  cause  suffering; 
also  the  fact  that  truth  and  love  will  establish  a 
healthy  state,  guide  and  govern  mortal  mind  or  the 
thought  of  the  patient,  and  destroy  all  error,  whether 
it  is  called  dementia,  hatred,  or  any  other  discord 
[p.  414]. 

This  modus  operandi  is  clear  enough.  The 
great  trouble  is,  that  in  a  sense  world  the  experi- 


136  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

^nce  of  arguing  with  the  insane  does  not  produce 
very  satisfactory  results.  The  insane  patient 
does  not  seem  to  take  to  sense  reasoning.  Per- 
chance this  is  the  very  reason  why  the  most  obsti- 
nate cases  yield  so  readily  to  the  arguments  of 
non-sense  science.  They  have  this  advantage  in 
their  favour,  there  exists  such  a  natural  affinity 
between  non-sense  and  insane  that  they  immedi- 
ately find  themselves  en  rapport,  and  a  valuable 
point  of  contact  is  thus  established. 

The  Less  Mind  the  Less  Disease.  Every  ad- 
vancing stage  in  our  progress  is  bringing  us 
nearer  and  nearer  to  the  dangerous  borderland  of 
a  non-sense  world.  From  dementia  to  amentia  is 
but  a  short  distance.  From  the  one  to  the  other 
Mrs.  Eddy  now  tries  to  lead  us.  The  logic  of  this 
transition  is  irresistible.  If  mortal  mind  is  the 
cause  of  disease,  then  naturally  it  follows  that  the 
less  mind  there  is  the  less  disease.  If  mortal 
mind  could  only  be  eliminated  the  world  would 
then  be  a  non-sense  world  and  there  would  be  no 
disease  in  it.  This  inevitable  logic  of  her  theory 
Mrs.  Eddy  frankly  faces  and  accepts.     She  says: 

It  is  the  general  belief  that  the  lower  animals  are 
less  sickly  than  those  possessing  higher  organiza- 
tions, especially  those  of  the  human  form.  This 
would  indicate  that  there  is  less  disease  in  proportion 
as  the  force  of  mortal  mind  is  less  pungent  or  sensi- 
tive, and  that  health  attends  the  absence  of  mortal 
mind  [p.  554f.]. 


NON-SENSE  HEALING  137 

Next,  we  will  give  three  typical  illustrations 
of  the  way  in  which  Mrs.  Eddy  develops  this 
point.  Concerning  the  snowbird  and  catarrh 
Mrs.  Eddy  says: 

Instinct  is  better  than  misguided  reason,  as  even 
nature  declares.  *  *  *  The  snowbird  sings  and 
soars  amid  the  blasts;  he  has  no  catarrh  from  wet 
feet,  and  procures  a  summer  residence  with  more 
ease  than  a  nabob.  The  atmosphere  of  earth,  kinder 
than  the  atmosphere  of  mortal  mind,  leaves  catarrh 
to  the  latter.  Colds,  coughs,  and  contagion  are  en- 
gendered solely  by  human  theories  [p.  220]. 

With  respect  to  the  horse  and  epizootic: 

You  can  educate  a  healthy  horse  so  far  in  physiol- 
ogy that  he  will  take  cold  without  his  blanket, 
whereas  the  wild  animal,  left  to  his  instincts,  sniffs 
the  wind  wdth  delight.  The  epizootic  is  a  humanly 
evolved  ailment,  which  a  wild  horse  might  never 
have  [p.  179]. 

One  cannot  help  wondering  how  Mrs.  Eddy 
knows  so  much  about  the  health  of  wild  horses. 
Naturalists  tell  us  that  the  law  of  the  survival  of 
the  fittest  explains  why  the  surviving  wild  horses 
"  sniff  the  wind  with  delight."  They  also  tell  us 
that  the  bones  of  the  weak  bestrew  their  native 
haunts.  From  what  is  here  said  we  fear  Mrs. 
Eddy's  knowledge  of  the  health  of  wild  horses 
IS  not  much  better  than  her  knowledge  of  the  epi- 
zootic. 

At  last  Mrs.  Eddy  pomes  out  with  the  idea 


138  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

which  lies  in  the  background  of  her  non-sense 
science  theory  of  healing.  When  put  into  plain 
English  it  is: 

The  less  mind  there  is  manifested  in  matter  the 
better  [p.  489]. 

She  ventures  a  comparison  at  this  point  which 
we  would  have  hesitated  to  make  when  she  says: 

When  the  unthinking  lobster  loses  its  claw,  the 
claw  grows  again.  If  the  Science  of  Life  were 
understood,  it  would  be  found  that  the  senses  of 
Mind  are  never  lost  and  that  matter  has  no  sensa- 
tion. Then  the  human  limb  would  be  replaced  as 
readily  as  the  lobster's  claw — not  with  an  artificial 
limb,  but  with  the  genuine  one  [p.  489]. 

It  is  certainly  to  be  regretted  that  this  "  Science 
of  Life "  was  not  better  understood  before  the 
great  war,  for  it  would  not  only  have  saved 
medical  science  much  labour,  but  would  have 
greatly  minimized  the  misfortunes  of  war  cas- 
ualties. And  to  think  that  the  only  thing 
which  has  prevented  this  happy  miracle  is  the  pos- 
session of  *'  too  much  mind  " !  Mrs.  Eddy's  argu- 
ment leads  us  to  conclude  that,  if  mind  in  human 
beings  could  only  be  reduced  to  the  size  of  the 
mental  capacity  of  the  lobster,  the  ideal  intel- 
lectual standard  of  attainment  for  the  successful 
operation  of  the  principle  of  non-sense  science 
healing  would  be  reached.  This  is  the  uncondi- 
tional intellectual  requirement  which  non-sense 
science  makes  of  all  those  who  would  obtain  its 


NON-SENSE  HEALING  139 

benefits.     It  is  not  necessary  to  pursue  this  idea 
any  further. 

The  Prophylactic  of  Non-Sense  Science,  Even 
in  a  non-sense  world  "  an  ounce  of  prevention  is 
worth  a  pound  of  cure."  So  we  find  Mrs.  Eddy 
diligently  endeavouring  to  teach  her  disciples  the 
way  to  avail  themselves  of  the  benefits  of  her  spe- 
cial brand  of  prophylactic.  The  directions  are 
thus  given: 

When  the  first  symptoms  of  disease  appear,  dis- 
pute the  testimony  of  the  material  senses  with  divine 
Science.  Let  your  higher  sense  of  justice  destroy 
the  false  process  of  mortal  opinions  which  you  name 
law,  and  then  you  will  not  be  confined  to  a  sick-room 
nor  laid  upon  a  bed  of  suffering  in  payment  of  the 
last  farthing,  the  last  penalty  demanded  by 
error.     *    *    * 

"Agree  to  disagree"  with  approaching  symptoms 
of  chronic  or  acute  disease,  whether  it  is  cancer,  con- 
sumption, or  smallpox  [p.  390]. 

The  same  idea  is  again  presented  in  this  way: 

Stand  porter  at  the  door  of  thought.  Admitting 
only  such  conclusions  as  you  wish  realized  in  bodily 
results,  you  will  control  yourself  harmoniously. 
When  the  condition  is  present  which  you  say  induces 
disease,  whether  it  be  air,  exercise,  heredity,  con- 
tagion, or  accident,  then  perform  your  office  as 
porter  and  shut  out  these  unhealthy  thoughts  and 
fears  [p.  392]. 

The  prophylactic  of  non-sense  science  is  one 
with  its  therapeutic.     And  so  easy  does  it  all 


140  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

sound  that  we  see  no  reason  why  the  "  porter  " 
should  have  any  difficulty  in  shutting  out  all  "  un- 
healthy thoughts  and  fears." 

We  are  a  bit  curious,  however,  to  know  just 
who  this  "porter"  is.  Who  is  it  that  is  sum- 
moned to  dispute  the  testimony  of  the  material 
senses?  And  whence  comes  this  ''higher  sense 
of  justice ''  whose  duty  it  is  to  "  destroy  the  false 
process  of  mortal  opinions  "  ?  Can  it  be,  after  all 
is  said  and  done,  that  non-sense  science  is  at  last 
found  falling  back  upon  the  resources  of  the  same 
old  "mortal  mind,"  and  enlisting  its  services  in 
its  own  interests?  We  suspect  that  a  very  strict 
psychological  analysis  of  the  mental  processes  of 
all  healers,  and  of  all  Christian  Scientists  who 
sincerely  attempt  to  follow  these  directions,  would 
reveal  nothing  less  than  this  very  surprising  thing, 
that  it  is  mortal  mind  which  stands  as  porter  and 
is  always  used.  This  discovery  creates  a  most 
embarrassing  situation.  For  according  to  non- 
sense science.  Spirit  or  "  divine  Mind "  cannot 
work  through  "  human  thought,"  or  mortal  mind, 
any  more  than  through  matter.  We  do  not  see 
any  possible  way  out  of  this  unexpected  dilemma, 
and  Mrs.  Eddy  does  not  provide  any.  It  begins 
to  look  as  though  we  are  caught  at  last.  So  our 
only  protection  is  to  stand  porter  at  the  door,  shut 
out  the  annoying  thought,  and  pass  on  to  another 
subject. 

The  Non-Sense  Science  System  of  Healing  is  a 


NONSENSE  HEALING  141 

Panacea.  In  this  respect  it  differs  from  medical 
science,  which  modestly  admits  that  its  ability  to 
bring  relief  and  effect  a  cure  is  strictly  dependent 
upon  its  knowledge.  The  natural  and  necessary 
limitation  of  its  knowledge  and  nature's  response 
carry  a  corresponding  limitation  in  its  ability  to 
bring  relief  and  effect  a  cure.  It  is  easy  to  see 
that  Christian  Science  is  embarrassed  by  no  such 
limitations.  For  nature  or  the  material  body  does 
not  exist  in  her  world,  and  not  knowledge,  but 
ignorance  of  physiology,  hygiene,  and  all  other 
relevant  matters,  is  one  of  its  essential  require- 
ments. And  there  being  no  limit  to  its  ignorance 
upon  all  these  subjects,  there  is  naturally  no  limit 
set  to  its  claims  to  cure.  The  whole  elaborate  sys- 
tem of  pathology  is  instantly  reduced  to  a  unit. 
The  proposition  is  simplicity  itself.  Since  all 
disease  comes  from  the  same  cause,  it  must  of 
necessity  have  the  same  cure.  Thus  its  method 
of  healing  can  be  standardized  and  easily,  though 
not  cheaply,  placed  upon  the  market.  For  from 
boils  to  broken  bones  the  treatment  is  identical. 
This  important  factor  Mrs.  Eddy  brings  out  in 
this  passage: 

One  disease  is  no  more  real  than  another.  All  dis- 
ease is  the  result  of  education,  and  disease  can  carry- 
its  ill-effects  no  farther  than  mortal  mind  maps  out 
the  way.  *  *  *  Hence  decided  types  of  acute 
disease  are  quite  as  ready  to  yield  to  Truth  as  the 
less    distinct   type   and   chronic    form   of   disease^ 


142  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

Truth  handles  the  most  malignant  contagion  with 
perfect  assurance  [p.  176]. 

No  one  would  think  of  questioning  the  "  assur- 
ance** with  which  non-sense  science  handles  any 
subject.  Its  results  alone  concern  us.  We  have 
already  learned  how  to  treat  a  boil.  How  does  it 
work  when  brought  face  to  face  with  the  other 
extreme,  a  broken  bone?  Mrs.  Eddy  smiles  pity- 
ingly upon  the  hopeless  ignorance  which  inspires 
such  a  question.  For  a  broken  bone  is  no  more 
than  a  broken  cell  and  both  are  nothing  but  the 
products  of  thought.  When  will  we  get  this  non- 
sense science  straight?  This  point  Mrs.  Eddy 
presents  thus: 

Ossification  or  any  abnormal  condition  or  derange- 
ment of  the  body  is  as  directly  the  action  of  mortal 
mind  as  is  dementia,  or  insanity.  Bones  have  only 
the  substance  of  thought  which  forms  them.  They 
are  only  phenomena  of  the  mind  of  mortals  [p.  423]- 

This  idea  is  developed  a  little  more  concretely 
in  the  following  passage: 

In  Science,  no  breakage  nor  dislocation  can  really 
occur.  You  say  that  accidents,  injuries,  and  disease 
kill  man,  but  this  is  not  true.  The  material  body 
manifests  only  what  mortal  mind  believes,  whether 
it  be  a  broken  bone,  disease,  or  sin  [p.  402]. 

This  sounds  all  right  in  theory,  but  has  it  ever 
been  able  to  demonstrate  its  truth  in  the  actual 
healing  of  broken  bones?  In  response  to  this 
query  Mrs.  Eddy  says: 


NON-SENSE  HEALING  143 

It  is  but  just  to  say  that  the  author  has  already  in 
her  possession  well-authenticated  records  of  cure,  by 
herself  and  her  students  through  mental  surgery 
alone,  of  broken  bones,  dislocated  joints,  and  spinal 
vertebrae  [p.  402]. 

Perhaps  some  of  the  more  skeptical  are  not 
satisfied  with  this  general  statement  and  refuse  to 
believe  in  the  power  of  thought  to  set  and  heal 
broken  bones,  unless  some  definite,  concrete  case 
with  details  is  produced.  Mrs.  Eddy  gives  only 
one  such  case  in  Fruitage  (p.  605f.).  But  this  is 
so  remarkable  in  all  of  its  features  that  nothing 
more  can  be  desired.  The  case  is  of  a  woman 
who  fell  from  her  bicycle  and  broke  her  arm  half 
way  between  the  shoulder  and  elbow.  We  will 
let  this  person  tell  her  own  story.     She  says: 

While  the  pain  was  intense,  I  lay  still  in  the  dust, 
declaring  the  truth  and  denying  that  there  could  be 
a  break  or  accident  in  the  realm  of  divine  Love. 
*  *  *  I  was  only  two  and  a  half  blocks  from 
home,  so  I  mounted  my  wheel  again  and  managed  to 
reach  it.  On  arriving  there  I  lay  down  and  asked 
my  little  boy  to  bring  me  our  text-book.  He  im- 
mediately brought  Science  and  Health,  which  I  read 
for  about  ten  minutes,  when  all  pain  left.  I  said 
nothing  to  my  family  of  the  accident,  but  attended  to 
some  duties  and  was  about  half  an  hour  late  in 
returning  to  the  office,  this  being  my  only  loss  of 
time  from  work. 

This  case  of  mental  surgery  speaks  for  itself. 
We  do  not  wonder,  now  as  we  come  to  the  end  of 


144  THE  NON-SENSE  OP  CHEISTI  AN  SCIENCE 

our  survey  of  this  non-sense  science  system  of 
healing  and  keep  in  mind  its  claims,  that  Mrs. 
Eddy  should  proudly  insist  that  it  is  securely  in- 
dependent of  all  other  pathological  systems,  and 
reassures  all  those  who  accept  it  with  this  final 
word  of  confidence: 

It  is  anything  but  scientifically  Christian  to  think 
of  aiding  the  divine  Principle  of  healing  or  of  trying 
to  sustain  the  human  body  until  the  divine  Mind  is 
ready  to  take  the  case.  Divinity  is  always  ready. 
Semper  paratus  is  Truth's  motto.  Having  seen  so 
much  suifering  from  quackery  the  author  desires  to 
keep  it  out  of  Christian  Science  [p.  458]. 

Nothing  remains  to  be  added  to  a  system  of 
healing  such  as  we  have  just  had  outlined  before 
us.  It  reduces  all  disease  to  one  cause,  and  that 
"  a  false  belief,"  and  all  remedies  it  reduces  to 
one,  "change  the  false  belief  into  a  true  one." 
It  finds  one  disease  or  ailment  just  as  easy  to  heal 
as  another,  from  boils  to  broken  bones.  It  claims 
to  be  a  panacea.  And  it  is  "  always  ready  "  to 
meet  any  emergency  which  may  develop.  ^'Sem- 
per paratus  is  Truth's  motto."  It  must  be  frankly 
admitted  that  there  is  nothing  within  the  annals 
of  therapy  that  can  match  its  claims. 

A  Strange  Lapse.  After  such  a  triumphant 
summing  up  of  the  merits  of  this  non-sense  system 
of  healing,  what  enemy  sowed  the  seeds  of  this 
strange  suggestion  in  the  chapter  on  Christian 
Science  Practice? 


NONSENSE  HEALING  146 

Until  the  advancing  age  admits  the  efficacy  and 
supremacy  of  Mind,  it  is  better  for  Christian  Scien- 
tists to  leave  surgery  and  the  adjustment  of  broken 
bones  and  dislocations  to  the  fingers  of  a  surgeon, 
while  the  mental  healer  confines  himself  chiefly  to 
mental  reconstruction  and  to  the  prevention  of  in- 
flammation [p.  401]. 

And  right  by  its  side  this  wise  advice: 

If  from  an  injury  or  from  any  cause,  a  Qiristian 
Scientist  were  seized  with  pain  so  violent  that  he 
could  not  treat  himself  mentally — and  the  Scientists 
had  failed  to  relieve  him — the  sufferer  could  call  a 
surgeon,  who  would  give  him  a  hypodermic  injection, 
then,  when  the  belief  in  pain  was  lulled,  he  could 
handle  his  own  case  mentally.  Thus  it  is  that  we 
"prove  all  things;  (and)  hold  fast  that  which  is 
good"  [p.  464]. 

It  is  quite  evident  that  among  the  "  good " 
things  to  which  the  Christian  Scientists  are  going 
to  "  hold  fast "  are  numbered  the  surgeon  and  the 
hypodermic  needle.  Nor  do  they  show  any  dis- 
position to  release  their  grip  upon  hygiene,  sani- 
tation, health  laws,  fresh  air,  diet,  exercise, 
dentists,  and,  when  the  tyranny  of  mortal  mind 
gets  the  upper  hand,  the  much  maligned  physi- 
cians. 

Is  NonSense  Healing  the  Method  Jesus  Used? 
Let  us  see.  The  Gospel  of  Matthew  records  four- 
teen specific  cases  of  healing  by  Jesus.  Of  these, 
six  were  performed  by  the  use  of  hands,  six  by 


146  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

command,  and  two  do  not  describe  the  method 
used.  Mark  records  thirteen  cases.  Six  were 
performed  by  the  use  of  hands,  six  by  command, 
and  one  does  not  describe  the  method.  Luke 
records  sixteen  cases.  Seven  were  performed  by 
the  use  of  hands,  seven  by  command,  and  two  do 
not  describe  the  method.  In  each  Gospel  the 
cases  of  heaHng  where  the  hands  were  used,  ex- 
actly to  the  number,  balance  those  by  command. 
In  the  Gospel  of  John,  there  are  three  cases  of 
healing,  two  by  command  and  one  by  the  use  of 
means,  but  this  one  case  where  means  were  used 
goes  into  such  minute  details  that  the  use  of  means 
cannot  be  denied. 

The  significance  of  all  this  comes  to  light  when 
we  recall  Mrs.  Eddy's  carefully  raised  point  that 
if  "  hands  "  were  actually,  literally,  used,  then  the 
healing  was  not  "  spiritually  done,"  and  was  not 
according  to  the  Christian  Science  principle.  So 
important  and  fundamental  is  this  point  that, 
when  Mrs.  Eddy  writes  her  little  book  of  guid- 
ance, she  takes  particular  pains  to  insert  this  state- 
ment: 

The  lecturer,  teacher,  or  healer  who  is  indeed  a 
Christian  Scientist  *  *  *  never  lays  his  hands 
on  the  patient  [Rudimental  Divine  Science,  p.  iif.]. 

So  that,  according  to  Mrs.  Eddy's  own  con- 
fession, in  at  least  half  of  His  cases  of  healing 
Jesus  did  not  use  the  Christian  Science  method. 


NON-SENSE  HEALING  147 

In  the  other  half  He  healed  by  word  of  command. 
Christian  Science  never  heals  by  command;  it 
heals  purely  through  thought,  and  there  is  a 
radical  psychological  difference  between  these  two 
methods.  The  power  of  thought  bottoms  in 
mind,  and  the  power  of  command  bottoms  in  per- 
sonality and  will.  As  we  have  already  seen,  both 
personality  and  will  are  the  two  factors  through 
which,  Mrs.  Eddy  is  careful  to  inform  us,  Chris- 
tian Science  does  not  heal.  So  that,  when  these 
two  systems  of  healing  are  actually  placed  side  by 
side  and  compared,  they  have  no  points  in  com- 
mon. This  is  indeed  a  surprising  discovery,  but 
the  more  closely  the  two  systems  are  studied  and 
compared,  the  more  striking  the  fact  appears. 
There  are,  however,  certain  contrasts  which  bring 
this  point  out  very  distinctly.  Let  us  set  down  a 
few. 

First.  Jesus  manifested  no  conscious  antago- 
nism toward  the  medical  science  of  His  day.  He 
did  not,  like  Mrs.  Eddy,  represent  Himself  as  a 
young  Goliath  going  out  single-handed  to  combat 
this  great  giant.  He  used  the  word  "  physician  " 
twice.  Once  when  He  remarked :  "  Ye  will  surely 
say  unto  me  this  proverb,  Physician  heal  thyself  " 
(Luke  4:  23) ;  and  a  second  time  when  He  said: 
"  They  that  be  whole  need  not  a  physician,  but 
they  that  are  sick'*  (Luke  5:31).  Both  these 
instances  seem  to  assume  that  the  physician  is 
supposed  to  be  able  to  heal.     And  the   second 


148  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

presents  with  approval  the  idea  that  "they  that 
are  sick  "  need  a  physician. 

Second.  Jesus  never  taught  any  science  of 
mental  healing.  To  fulfill  His  ''  Giod  ordained 
mission,"  He  did  not  find  it  necessary  to  establish 
a  metaphysical  college  in  Jerusalem ;  and  for  some 
reason  God  did  not  "  impel ''  Him  to  "  set  a 
price  ''of  $300  to  each  disciple  for  twelve  lessons 
in  His  art  of  healing.  In  all  of  His  recorded  say- 
ings He  never  uttered  a  word  of  instruction  on 
healing  which  can  be  quoted  as  sanctioning  Mrs. 
Eddy's  non-sense  science  system. 

Third.  Jesus  never  *'  treated "  patients.  He 
never  sat  down  and  argued  **  both  silently  and 
audibly  "  against  their  "  false  beliefs."  His  heal- 
ing was  always  instantaneous. 

Fourth.  Jesus  never  charged  "  so  much  per  " 
for  healing  the  sick.  The  proper  "  financial 
equivalent  for  an  impartation  of  a  knowledge  of 
that  divine  power  which  heals "  never  caused 
Him  as  much  concern  as  it  did  Mrs.  Eddy.  With 
Him  healing  was  not  a  business  or  a  profession, 
It  was  an  incidental  compassionate  ministry. 

Fifth.  Jesus  Himself  healed  the  sick.  He  did 
not  have  to  turn  over  to  His  disciples  this  impor- 
tant work.  It  is  a  little  advertised  fact,  but  Mrs. 
Eddy  herself  did  not  heal.  This  did  not  seem  to 
be  her  forte.  After  a  few  unsuccessful  experi- 
ments at  the  very  outset  of  her  career,  she  aban- 
doned all  attempts  to  heal,  and  confined  her  efforts 


NON-SENSE  HEALING  149 

to  teaching  others,  for  a  price,  how  they  should 
do  it.  As  early  as  1870,  when  she  first  went  to 
Lynn,  Massachusetts,  with  Richard  Kennedy,  and 
together  they  opened  up  the  first  mental  healing 
institute,  Kennedy  did  all  of  the  healing.  Mrs. 
Eddy  simply  took  half  of  the  proceeds  for  having 
taught  him  how  to  do  it,  and  organized  classes 
instructing  others,  in  a  few  lessons,  how  they 
might  obtain  the  right  to  put  "  Doctor  "  before 
their  names  and  open  offices  and  start  out  in  busi- 
ness for  themselves.  This  short  cut  to  a  profes- 
sional career  soon  became  so  attractive  that  the 
State  of  Massachusetts  was  compelled  to  forbid 
this  indiscriminate  use  of  the  title  "  doctor." 
From  this  time  on  Christian  Science  practitioners 
have  had  to  be  content  with  the  title  "  healer." 

But  Mrs.  Eddy  herself  was  not  a  healer.  In 
every  edition  of  Science  and  Health,  from  the 
first  until  her  death,  this  significant  note  is  to  be 
found  at  the  end  of  the  preface:  "The  authoress 
takes  no  patients,  and  has  no  time  for  medical 
consultations."  Lack  of  time  seems  a  poor  ex- 
cuse for  allowing  the  one  person  in  the  world 
divinely  empowered  to  heal  to  be  excluded  from 
exercising  this  power.  It  does  seem  that  even  in 
her  busy  life  she  might  have  found  a  little  time 
now  and  then  to  help  out  her  failing  disciples  or 
to  save  the  lives  of  her  loved  ones.  Jesus  did.  But 
this  was  not  done.  Of  course  it  is  easy  to  realize 
that  failure  by  the  "  divine  one  "  would  have  been 


150  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

a  serious  blow  to  the  faith  of  trusting  disciples. 
Did  not  the  death  of  her  husband,  Mr.  Eddy,  from 
heart  disease,  almost  disrupt  her  business?  If  to 
this  unfortunate  incident  had  been  added  a  long 
series  of  other  failures  her  followers  might  have 
had  their  confidence  in  her  and  her  system  sadly 
shaken.  So  Mrs.  Eddy  took  no  chances.  She 
never  tried  to  heal.  She  confined  her  efforts  to 
teaching  others  how,  and  then  attributed  their 
failures  to  their  imperfect  understanding  of  her 
system.  Jesus,  however,  was  not  under  the  ne- 
cessity of  taking  so  many  precautions  against 
failure.  Without  an  exception  "  he  healed  them 
all." 

But  why  carry  this  comparison  further?  For 
if  it  is  not  now,  it  never  will,  be  evident  to  the 
reader  that  there  is  not  a  single  point  in  common 
between  this  non-sense  science  system  of  healing 
and  that  of  Jesus.  If  Science  and  Health  cor- 
rectly presents  to  us  the  Christian  Science  system 
of  healing — and  it  is  the  only  approved  authority 
upon  the  subject — then  it  can  be  safely  affirmed 
that  Jesus  never  preached,  practiced  or  "  left  us  as 
his  rich  legacy "  non-sense  science  healing,  any 
more  than  He  did  non-sense  Christianity. 

Non-Sense  Science  Simply  Another  System  of 
Healing.  When  all  of  its  various  disguises  have 
been  stripped  oflF,  Christian  Science  stands  forth 
as  nothing  more  or  less  than  another  system  of 
healing,  no  more  Christian,  no  more  divine,  no 


NON-SENSE  HEALING  151 

more  Scriptural,  no  more  religious,  than  the  med- 
ical science  which  it  seeks  to  displace.  As  a  system 
of  healing  it  must  hereafter  be  made  to  stand 
solely  upon  the  intrinsic  merits  of  its  fundamental 
principles.  If  Mrs.  Eddy  is  right  when  she  asserts 
that  **  a  false  belief  is  both  the  disease  and  its 
cause,"  then  and  then  only,  is  Christian  Science 
right  when  it  claims  that  "  the  efficient  remedy  is 
to  destroy  the  patient's  false  belief."  If,  on  the 
contrary,  medical  science  is  correct  when  it  main- 
tains that  both  physical,  chemical  and  material 
factors  contribute  toward  causing  disease,  then  by 
no  possible  stretch  of  reason  can  changing  the 
"  belief  '*  of  the  patient  remove  the  cause  of  such 
disease  and  thereby  effect  a  cure.  The  problem  at 
this  point  becomes  simply  a  question  of  fact  as  to 
the  nature  and  cause  of  disease.  This  is  the  real 
issue  which  separates  Christian  Science  from 
orthodox  medical  science.  And  facts  are  abun- 
dant to  prove  which  of  the  two  positions  is  cor- 
rect. 

A  system  of  healing  based  upon  such  an  unsup- 
ported theory  would  never  have  outlived  its  early 
birth  struggles  had  not  Mrs.  Eddy,  driven  almost 
to  distraction  by  failure,  at  last  hit  upon  the  idea 
of  making  a  religion  out  of  it.  This  was  the 
magic  trick  which  turned  failure  into  success.  The 
moment  she  proclaimed  it  the  "true  evangelic 
faith  "  and  herself  its  divinely  inspired  revealer, 
the  germ  of  the  Christian  Science  cult  was  created. 


NON-SENSE  REVELATIONS 

HAVING  learned  the  nature  of  the  non- 
sense science  contained  in  Science  and 
Health,  it  would  almost  seem  that  this 
whole  subject  might  be  dismissed  at  this  point. 
For  any  one  knowing  its  real  character  cannot 
claim  that  it  is  entitled  to  serious  study.  But  Mrs. 
Eddy  forces  us  to  investigate  the  question  of  its 
source. 

If  like  other  mortals  she  had  been  willing  to 
acknowledge  her  honest  indebtedness  for  its  origi- 
nal ideas  there  would  be  little  interest  in  tracing 
them  to  their  sources.  But  the  instant  she  makes 
this  announcement: 

No  human  pen  nor  tongue  taught  me  the  Science 
contained  in  this  book,  Science  and  Health;  and 
neither  tongue  nor  pen  can  overthrow  it  [p.  no], 

she  challenges  rational  credulity  beyond  its  power 
of  acceptance.  In  fact  the  undue  anxiety  which 
she  continually  manifests  to  decoy  all  thought 
away  from  human  sources  arouses  our  suspicion 
that  there  must  be  some  good  reason  back  of  this 
concern.     At  any  rate  there  is  now  no  possible 

152 


NON-SENSE  EEVELATIONS  153 

escape  from  the  issue  which  she  has  raised.  Her 
sincerity,  her  veracity,  her  character,  all  hang  upon 
the  slender  thread  of  the  absolute  truthfulness  of 
this  statement.  And  in  the  case  of  one  who  claims 
to  be  divine,  and  who  seeks  to  displace  Jesus 
Christ  as  the  Lord,  these  moral  attributes  are  of 
paramount  importance.  If  this  statement  is  false, 
no  reliance  can  reasonably  be  placed  upon  any 
other  similar  statements,  and  all  of  her  super- 
natural pretensions  fall  to  the  ground  with 
her  veracity  and  sincerity.  It  is  as  clear  as 
crystal  that,  unless  she  is  able  to  sustain  this 
claim,  she  has  seriously  jeopardized  her  whole 
case. 

If  no  human  pen  or  tongue  taught  her  this  sci- 
ence, where  did  she  get  it?  Her  answer  to  this 
question  is  very  explicit.  She  tells  us  that  God 
Himself  revealed  it  to  her  in  two  separate  install- 
ments. First,  He  revealed  to  her  its  principle  of 
healing,  which,  when  she  was  at  death's  door,  she 
put  to  the  test,  and  through  which  she  was  instan- 
taneously restored  to  health.  Second,  He  dictated 
to  her,  His  "  scribe,"  the  scientific  explanation  of 
this  new  principle  of  healing,  which  revelation  she 
has  given  to  the  world  in  the  Christian  Science 
text-book.  Science  and  Health.  Our  attention  in 
this  chapter  will  be  devoted  to  a  careful  investiga- 
tion of  these  two  so-called  revelations.  We  will 
begin  with  the  first  Installment. 

The  mind  is  gradually  prepared   for  the   full 


154  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

blaze  of  the  truth  of  this  miraculous  revelation  by 
these  preliminary  statements: 

In  the  year  1866,  I  discovered  the  Christ  Science 
or  divine  laws  of  Life,  Truth,  and  Love,  and  named 
my  discovery  Christian  Science.  God  had  been 
graciously  preparing  me  during  many  years  for  the 
reception  of  this  final  revelation  of  the  absolute 
divine  Principle  of  scientific  mental  healing  [p. 
107]. 

Whence  came  to  me  this  heavenly  conviction, — a 
conviction  antagonistic  to  the  testimony  of  the  phys- 
ical senses?  According  to  St.  Paul,  it  was  *'  the  gift 
of  the  grace  of  God  given  unto  me  by  the  effectual 
working  of  His  power  "  [p.  108]. 

Of  course  the  reader  is  entitled  to  know  that  in 
the  early  editions  of  Science  and  Health  her  dis- 
covery is  made  at  another  time,  and  in  an  entirely 
different  way.  But  conditions  arose  which  made 
this  kind  of  revelation  at  this  particular  time  im- 
perative. So,  as  necessity  is  the  mother  of  in- 
vention, this  kind  of  discovery  was  Invented.  We 
have  not  space  to  give  any  of  these  earlier  explana- 
tions, but  will  content  ourselves  with  the  one  story 
which  has  survived  all  others,  and  which  to-day, 
without  a  rival,  has  become  the  accepted  theory  of 
orthodox  Christian  Science.  The  most  complete 
account  is  the  chapter  entitled,  The  Discovery  of 
the  Principle  of  Christian  Science,  in  the  au- 
thorized Life  of  Mrs.  Eddy,  by  Sibyl  Wilbur. 
There  Is  nothing  Intrinsically  new  In  this  version; 
its  chief  merit  lies  in  the  skillful  manner  in  which 


NON-SENSE  EEYELATIONS  155 

it  gathers  up  all  the  essential  details  of  the  various 
earlier  accounts  given  by  Mrs.  Eddy  and  blends 
them  together  into  one  consistent,  dramatic,  mi- 
raculous event.  Its  principal  features  are  con- 
tained in  these  selected  paragraphs: 

When  this  fall  occurred  Mrs.  Patterson  was  re- 
turning to  her  home  from  some  meeting  of  the  organ- 
ization of  Good  Templars.  ♦  *  *  j^  ^-j^g  midst 
of  apparent  light-hearted  social  gaiety  she  slipped  on 
the  ice  and  was  thrown  violently.  The  party  stood 
aghast,  but  soon  lifted  her  and  carried  her  into  a 
house,  where  it  was  seen  that  she  was  seriously  in- 
jured [p.  128]. 

After  the  doctor's  departure  on  Friday,  however, 
she  refused  to  take  the  medicine  he  had  left,  and  as 
she  expressed  it,  lifted  her  heart  to  God.  On  the 
third  day,  which  was  Sunday,  she  sent  those  who 
were  in  her  room  away,  and  taking  her  Bible,  opened 
it.  Her  eyes  fell  upon  the  account  of  the  healing  of 
the  palsied  man  by  Jesus. 

"  It  was  to  me  a  revelation  of  Truth,"  she  has 
written.  "  The  lost  chord  of  Truth,  healing  as  of 
old.  I  caught  this  consciously  from  the  Divine 
Harmony.  The  miracles  recorded  in  the  Bible  which 
had  before  seemed  to  me  supernatural,  grew  divinely 
natural  and  apprehensible."     *     *     * 

A  spiritual  experience  so  deep  was  granted  her 
that  she  realized  eternity  in  a  moment,  infinitude  in 
limitation,  life  in  the  presence  of  death.  She  could 
not  utter  words  of  prayer;  her  spirit  realized.  She 
knew  God  face  to  face ;  she  "  touched  and  handled 
things  unseen."  In  that  moment  all  pain  evanesced 
into  bliss,  all  discord  in  her  physical  body  melted  into 


166  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

harmony,  all  sorrow  was  translated  into  rapture. 
*     *     *     God  said  to  her,  "  Daughter  arise !  " 

Mrs.  Patterson  arose  from  her  bed,  dressed  and 
walked  into  the  parlour  where  a  clergyman  and  a 
few  friends  had  gathered,  thinking  it  might  be  for 
the  last  words  on  earth  with  the  sufferer  who,  they 
believed,  was  dying.  They  arose  in  consternation 
at  her  appearance,  almost  believing  they  beheld  an 
apparition.  She  quietly  reassured  them  and  ex- 
plained the  manner  of  her  recovery,  calling  upon 
them  to  witness  it.     *     *     * 

Mary  Baker  did  more  than  experience  a  cure. 
She  in  that  hour  received  a  revelation  for  which  she 
had  been  preparing  her  heart  in  every  event  of  her 
life  [p.  i3of.]- 

In  the  quiet  retrospect  of  later  years,  looking 
down  from  the  eminence  to  which  she  had  climbed, 
and  back  through  the  haze  of  the  halo  in  which 
she  and  her  followers  had  enveloped  her,  no  doubt 
this  did  seem  something  like  the  way  in  which  her 
momentous  "final  revelation  of  the  absolute 
divine  Principle  of  scientific  mental  healing" 
ought  to  have  been  vouchsafed.  And  if  students 
of  this  subject  are  content  to  let  the  matter  rest 
with  this  explanation,  as  all  loyal  Christian  Sci- 
entists must  do,  no  serious  complications  arise. 
But  just  as  soon  as  one  presses  back  to  the  year 
1866,  and  the  actual  history  of  this  "fall  in 
Lynn  "  and  her  recovery  from  it,  some  most  dis- 
concerting facts  come  to  light.  For  the  full  his- 
tory of  this  now  epochal  "  fall "  has  been  Provi- 


NON-SENSE  EEVELATIONS  157 

dentially  preserved.  As  we  shall  see  before  we 
have  completed  our  study,  the  guardian  angel  of 
truth  has  a  quiet  v^ay  of  standing  always  some- 
where within  the  shadow  keeping  watch  about  his 
own. 

The  first  evidence  we  shall  introduce  to  disprove 
this  story  is  that  presented  by  the  physician  who 
attended  Mrs.  Eddy  at  the  time  of  her  accident 
We  will  take  this,  and  another  account  of  the 
affair  as  given  by  Mrs.  Eddy,  from  the  Brief  of 
the  "  Exceptions  of  Next  Friends  "  in  the  trial  in- 
stituted for  a  trusteeship  over  her  property  in  the 
Superior  Court  of  New  Hampshire,  April  Term, 
1907.  As  evidence  of  her  mental  condition  the 
lawyer  pointed  out  that  she  was  subject  to  strange 
delusions.  Among  many  others  is  submitted  a 
persisting  delusion  that  she  experienced  a  mirac- 
ulous recovery  from  a  fall  in  Lynn  in  the  year 
1866.  Her  story  is  then  told  and  followed  by  the 
facts  in  the  case.  We  will  now  give  the  extract 
exactly  as  it  appears  in  the  records: 

In  another  statement  she  gives  the  narration  as 
follows :  "  It  was  in  Mass.  that  I  met  with  an  acci- 
dent, falling  from  the  grade  of  a  sidewalk.  Then 
it  was  In  Mass.  that  I  first  recovered  from  that  point 
of  death  where  doctors  left  me,  and  when  they  left 
me  they  said  it  was  as  impossible  for  me  to  live  as  if 
my  head  was  cut  off.  The  clergyman  also  left  me, 
telling  me  that  there  was  no  hope  and  that  I  must 
surely  die,  and  he  asked  me  if  I  was  prepared  and 
ready  to  die.    I  said  that  it  did  not  seem  like  death 


158  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

to  me.  Then  he  spoke  to  me  very  solemnly  because 
he  was  impressed  with  my  statement  to  him,  and 
spoke  beautifully  on  the  subject  of  life.  He  then 
left  me.  He  called  again  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  and  I  met  him  below  stairs,  ran  down  the 
stairs  to  meet  him,  and  he  was  very  much  overcome. 
He  said  '  let  me  take  your  arm,'  but  I  said,  *  I  am 
well/  Now  I  commenced  in  Mass.  the  effort  of 
the  introduction  of  that  which  I  discovered  at  that 
moment "   [p.  6]. 

As  this  account  is  read  one  cannot  help  feeling 
that  the  doctors  and  the  clergyman  were  just  a 
little  hard-hearted  in  the  brusque  way  in  which 
they  informed  her  of  tTie  hopelessness  of  her  con- 
dition. Unfortunately  no  one  has  come  to  the 
rescue  of  the  reputation  of  the  unnamed  tactless 
clergyman,  but  the  doctor  who  attended  her  has 
come  forward  and  spoken  for  himself.  In  a 
sworn  statement  he  has  given  a  full  detailed  ac- 
count of  the  actual  history  of  the  case.  We  have 
not  space  for  this  complete  statement,  so  we  will 
give  it  as  it  is  summed  up  and  contained  in  the 
court  records.  Continuing  where  the  above  nar- 
ration ended  it  reads: 

The  facts  upon  which  the  foregoing  miracle  was 
based  are  these:  On  February  ist,  1866,  at  Lynn, 
Mass.,  Mrs.  Eddy  fell  on  an  icy  sidewalk  and  injured 
her  head  so  that  she  complained  of  pains  in  her  head 
and  neck,  and  became  partly  unconscious  and 
hysterical.  A  physician  gave  her  quieting  medicine, 
but  she  was  suffering  the  next  morning,  although  she 


NON-SENSE  REVELATIONS  159 

determined  to  go  home  to  Swampscott.  To  lessen 
the  pain  on  removal  the  physician  gave  her  one- 
eighth  of  a  grain  of  morphine  and  she  fell  asleep  and 
was  easily  moved  in  that  condition.  The  physician 
visited  her  twice  on  February  2nd,  and  once  on  the 
3rd  and  once  on  the  5th,  and  again  on  the  13th,  when 
she  seemed  to  have  recovered  and  his  bill  was  paid. 
On  August  loth  he  was  called  to  a  house  in  Lynn  to 
prescribe  for  her  for  a  bad  cough,  and  he  made  three 
calls  during  that  month.  The  physician's  record  book 
shows  each  visit,  the  symptoms  and  the  progress  of 
the  case. 
\  The  affidavit  of  the  physician.  Dr.  Alvin  M.  Cush- 
«  ing,  who  attended  Mrs.  Eddy,  contains  the  follow- 
ing: 

"  There  was,  to  my  knowledge,  no  other  physician 
in  attendance  upon  Mrs.  Patterson  during  this  illness 
from  the  day  of  the  accident,  February  ist,  1866,  to 
my  final  visit  on  February  13th.  *  *  *  I  did 
not  at  any  time  say,  or  believe,  that  there  was  no 
hope  for  Mrs.  Patterson's  recovery,  or  that  she  was 
in  a  critical  condition,  and  did  not  at  any  time  say,  or 
believe,  that  she  had  but  three  or  any  other  limited 
number  of  days  to  live.  Mrs.  Patterson  did  not 
suggest,  or  say,  or  pretend,  or  in  any  way  whatever 
intimate,  that  on  the  third  day,  or  any  other  day,  of 
her  said  illness,  she  had  miraculously  recovered  or 
been  healed,  or  that,  discovering  or  perceiving  the 
truth  of  the  power  employed  by  Christ  to  heal  the 
isick  she  had,  by  it,  been  restored  to  health  "  [p.  6f.]. 

These  "  facts  in  the  case,"  from  the  sworn  state- 
ment of  as  eminent  a  physician  as  Dr.  Gushing, 
certainly  work  havoc  with  Mrs.  Eddy's  miracu- 
lous-recovery-on-the-third-day    story.      Any    one 


160  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

familiar  with  Mrs.  Eddy's  natural  prudence  can- 
not imagine  her  paying  a  physician  for  two  or 
three  professional  visits,  after  they  were  made 
unnecessary  by  her  previous  discovery  and  conse- 
quent complete  recovery.  Yet  she  certainly  did 
pay  Dr.  Gushing  for  visits  after  February  3. 

Another  bit  of  splendid  work  by  the  guardian 
angel  of  truth  was  the  'preservation  of  a  letter 
which  Mrs.  Patterson  wrote  Mr.  Julius  A.  Dres- 
ser, a  fellow  pupil  and  at  one  time  the  assistant  of 
Dr.  Ouimby.  This  letter  was  written  February 
15,  twelve  days  after  the  alleged  miraculous  re- 
covery.    This  passage  interests  us: 

Two  weeks  ago  I  fell  on  the  sidewalk  and  struck 
my  back  on  the  ice  and  was  taken  up  for  dead,  came 
to  consciousness  amid  a  storm  of  vapours  from 
cologne,  chloroform,  ether,  camphor,  etc.,  but  to  find 
myself  the  helpless  cripple  I  was  before  I  saw 
Dr.  Qumby.     *     *     * 

Now  can't  you  help  me?  I  believe  you  can.  I 
write  this  with  this  feeling:  I  think  I  could  help 
another  in  my  condition,  if  they  had  not  placed  their 
intelligence  in  matter.  This  I  have  not  done  and  yet 
/  am  slowly  failing.  Won't  you  write  me  if  you 
will  undertake  for  me  if  I  can  get  to  you?  Respect- 
fully, Mary  M.  Patterson.  [See  Peabody,  The 
Religio-Medical  Masquerade,  p.  8i.  Also,  The  True 
History  of  Mental  Healing,  by  Julius  A.  Dresser.] 

As  evidence  against  a  miraculous  recovery  from 
her  fall  in  Lynn  on  the  third  day,  the  testimony  of 
the  physician  who  attended  her  at  the  time  of  the 


KON-SENSE  REVELATIONS  161 

accident  and  the  records  of  his  own  case  book, 
supported  by  the  independent  evidence  of  this  let- 
ter by  Mrs.  Patterson  twelve  days  after  the  date 
of  this  alleged  miraculous  recovery,  hold  pre- 
eminence over  any  statements  made  eighteen  or 
twenty  years  after  date  and  under  the  influence  of 
other  motives.  Nor  is  this  all.  Even  as  late  as 
1875  Mrs.  Eddy  has  not  yet  discovered  that  she 
made  this  phenomenal  discovery  at  the  time  of 
this  fall  in  1866.  For  in  that  most  precious  of 
all  editions,  the  one  which  alone  can  claim  infalli- 
bility as  having  been  dictated  by  God,  the  first  edi- 
tion of  Science  and  Health,  in  which  there  is  "  no 
place  or  opportunity  for  error,"  Mrs.  Eddy  says: 

We  made  our  first  discovery  that  Science  mentally 
applied  would  heal  the  sick  in  1864  [p.  6]. 

Not  in  1866,  but  in  1864,  two  years  before  this 
memorable  "  fall  in  Lynn,"  it  is  distinctly  stated 
that  this  very  same  discovery  was  made.  And, 
lest  any  one  may  suspect  that  this  date  is  but  the 
slip  of  tlie  printer,  we  would  call  attention  to  the 
fact  that  this  edition  was  revised,  corrected  as  to 
all  errata,  revised  and  corrected  again,  revised 
and  corrected  down  to  1883,  and. this  same  date 
always  given  as  that  on  which  this  discovery  was 
made.  This  early  date  has  much  to  recommend 
it.  For  this  was  the  very  year,  1864,  in  which 
Mrs.  Eddy  returned  to  Dr.  Quimby  to  study  with 
him  his  science  of  mental  healing.     And,  as  we 


162  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

shall  soon  see,  Mrs.  Eddy  explicitly  states  in  her 
own  handwriting  that  it  was  at  this  time  she  first 
made  this  discovery. 

We  suspect  that  this  year  1864  would  have 
enjoyed  permanently  this  distinction,  and  the  *'  fall 
in  Lynn"  remained  in  the  obscurity  of  its  com- 
monplaceness,  had  the  memory  of  Dr.  Quimby's 
science  of  mental  healing  stayed  buried  with  his 
body,  which  Mrs.  Eddy  had  every  right  to  presume 
it  would  do.  Dr.  Quimby  died  January  16,  1866. 
A  few  weeks  after  his  death  Mrs.  Eddy  wrote  the 
letter,  from  which  we  have  already  quoted,  to  Mr. 
Julius  Dresser.  One  of  her  objects  in  writing 
was  to  ask  him,  as  Quimby's  former  assistant,  to 
take  up  and  carry  on  the  work  of  his  master. 
This  part  of  her  letter  ran  as  follows: 

Mr.  Dresser, — 

Sir:  I  enclose  some  lines  of  mine  in  memory 
of  our  much-loved  Friend,  which  perhaps  you  will 
not  think  over- wrought  in  meaning,  others  must  of 
course. 

I  am  constantly  wishing  that  you  would  step  for- 
ward into  the  place  he  has  vacated.  I  believe  you 
would  do  a  vast  amount  of  good,  and  are  more 
capable  of  occupying  his  place  than  any  other  I 
know  of  [Peabody,  p.  8 if.]. 

In  reply  to  this  suggestion  Mr.  Dresser  said  he 
did  not  feel  competent  to  undertake  the  responsi- 
bility of  such  a  work.  A  short  time  after  this  he 
went  West,  leaving  Mrs.  Eddy,  as  she  thought,  in 
undisputed  possession  of  the  field.     This  oppor- 


NON-SENSE  EEVELATI0N8  163 

tunity  kindled  all  of  her  active  and  latent  energies 
with  a  renewed  determination  to  save  Quimby's 
science  of  mental  healing  to  the  world  by  cham- 
pioning it  herself.  From  this  time  on  she  seemed 
to  feel  that  she  possessed  a  proprietary  right  in 
it,  which  in  due  course  of  time  developed  into 
exclusive  ownership.  Finally  she  took  the  last 
step  and  claimed  to  be  its  discoverer  and  origina- 
tor. It  was  this  last  step  that  brought  down  so 
much  trouble  upon  her  head.  For  in  1882  Mr, 
Dresser  returned  to  Boston  and  began  to  practice 
the  Quimby  science  of  mental  healing.  It  was  not 
long  before  he  came  in  contact  with  Mrs.  Eddy 
and  her  mental  healing  cult.  To  his  astonishment 
he  learned  that  his  former  Quimby  fellow  pupil 
had  branched  out  considerably  since  he  last  heard 
of  her.  She  had  written  a  book  on  mental  heal- 
ing, founded  a  church  upon  it,  and  established  the 
Massachusetts  Metaphysical  College,  of  which  she 
was  the  president  and  whole  faculty.  To  cap  the 
climax,  she  had  gone  so  far  as  to  claim  that  she, 
and  not  Mr.  Quimby,  was  the  real  discoverer  and 
originator  of  the  system. 

This  was  a  little  more  than  Mr.  Dresser  could 
stand.  His  sense  of  honour  and  honesty  would 
not  allow  him  to  remain  silent  and  see  his  dead 
master  robbed  of  the  just  recognition  of  twenty- 
five  years  of  research,  writing,  and  practice,  which 
had  brought  into  existence  this  very  system  of 
mental  healing  which  Mrs.  Eddy  was  claiming  as 


164  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

her  own.  So  in  the  Boston  Post  of  February  24, 
1883,  he  pubHshed  an  article  in  which  he  presented 
Quimby's  science  of  mental  heaUng,  and  accom- 
panied this  with  articles  and  letters  by  Mrs.  Eddy, 
then  Mrs.  Patterson,  showing  that  in  those  days 
she  had  given  Mr.  Quimby  unquestioned  credit 
for  teaching  her  this  very  system  of  mental  heal- 
ing. This  unexpected  disclosure,  accompanied  by 
Mrs.  Eddy's  own  writings,  was  a  staggering  blow 
to  her  struggling  enterprise. 

By  a  curious  coincidence  at  the  very  time  that 
Mr.  Dresser  exploded  this  bomb  of  the  Quimby 
origin  of  her  system  of  healing,  Mrs.  Eddy  was 
engaged  in  prosecuting  one  of  her  former  lieu- 
tenants, Mr.  A.  J.  Arens,  for  plagiarizing  some 
material  from  her  class-room  manuscript  and  pub- 
lishing it  as  his  own  in  his  book.  Naturally  Mr. 
Arens  retaliated  in  his  defense  that  he  was  doing 
nothing  more  than  Mrs.  Eddy  herself  had  done. 
For  Mr.  Dresser  had  convincingly  proven  that  she 
had  taken  from  her  teacher,  Mr.  Quimby,  manu- 
scripts and  material  and  published  them  as  her 
own.  As  a  result  of  this  double  fire,  which  gained 
wide-spread  publicity,  the  situation  became  so 
acute  that  something  had  to  be  done  at  once  to 
drive  back  this  Quimby  specter,  which  was  haunt- 
ing her,  into  his  grave.  It  was  this  tragic  crisis 
that  forced  Mrs.  Eddy  to  change  completely  her 
attitude  toward,  and  her  representation  of,  Mr. 
Quimby. 


NON-SENSE  EEVELATIONS  165 

In  a  friendly  letter  written  to  him  she  one  time 
flatteringly  asked:  "Who  is  wise  but  you?"  In 
the  early  days  she  precipitated  quite  a  controversy 
in  the  press  by  likening  him  to  Christ.  The  last 
two  lines  of  the  poem  which  she  enclosed  to  Mr. 
Dresser,  to  which  reference  has  just  been  made, 
read: 

Rest  should  reward  him  who  hath  made  us  whole, 
Seeking,  tho'  tremblers,  where  his  footsteps  trod* 

[See  Peabody,  p.  76.] 

At  the  time  of  his  death  it  is  quite  plain  that 
Mrs.  Eddy  revered  him.  But  time  has  wrought 
great  changes  since  that  day  of  humility  when  she 
was  but  a  trembling  seeker  where  his  footsteps 
trod.  Seventeen  years  have  passed  away,  and 
this  former  pupil,  sitting  at  Mr.  Quimby's  feet  to 
learn  of  him,  has  now  become  the  acknowledged 
discoverer  of  the  science  of  mental  healing,  with 
a  Metaphysical  College,  Church,  and  cult,  all  built 
up  in  her  name  out  of  it.  She  has  altogether  too 
much  at  stake  to  allow  this  Quimby  specter  to  rise 
out  of  his  grave  and  stalk  about  haunting  her  ruin. 
She  has  nothing  against  Mr.  Quimby,  but  he  is 
dead  and  so  has  nothing  to  lose,  while  she  has 
everything.  So  she  decides  that  he  will  have  to 
be  sacrificed  for  her  sake.  Ignoring  the  fact  that 
in  the  first  edition  of  Science  and  Health  she  has 
committed  herself  to  the  year  1864  as  the  one  in 
which  she  made  the  "  first  discovery  that  Science 


166  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

mentally  applied  would  heal  the  sick,"  she  now 
begins  to  claim  that  long  before  she  ever  heard  of 
Mr.  Quimby  she  was  a  pioneer  worker  in  the  field 
of  mental  healing.  In  one  place  she  tells  us  that 
way  back  in  1844  she  made  this  discovery.  In 
other  places  she  gives  other  dates.  In  her  reply 
to  Mr.  Dresser  in  the  Boston  Post  of  March  7th, 
1883,  she  says: 

We  never  were  a  student  of  Dr.  Quimby,  *  *  * 
Dr.  Quimby  never  had  students  to  our  knowl- 
edge.    *    *    * 

We  made  our  first  experiments  in  mental  healing 
about  1853,  when  we  were  convinced  that  mind  had 
a  science  which,  if  understood,  would  heal  all  disease. 
[Quoted  from  Milmine's  Life  of  Mrs.  Eddy,  Mc- 
Clure's  Magazine,  March,  1907.] 

By  thus  making  her  discovery  antedate  her  visit 
to  Mr.  Quimby  she  tries  to  establish  her  priority 
right.  But  this  does  not  explain  the  telltale  iden- 
tity between  these  two  systems  of  healing  and  the 
manuscripts.  Mrs.  Eddy's  audacity  at  this  point 
surprises  friends  and  foes  alike.  There  being  no 
way  to  deny  this,  she  claims  that  she,  and  not  Mr. 
Quimby,  is  the  virtual  author  of  them.  A  pioneer 
specialist  in  the  field  of  mental  healing  with  years 
of  experience  behind  her,  she  found  Mr.  Quimby 
a  poor,  ignorant  man  floundering  helplessly  be- 
yond his  depth  in  the  metaphysical  waters  of  men- 
tal healing,  and  taking  pity  upon  him,  helped  him 
out.     Her  ideas  were  far  in  advance  of  his,  so  she 


NON-SENSE  EEVELATIONS  167 

became  his  teacher  and  he  her  pupil.     In  the  same 
article  in  the  Boston  Post  of  March  7th,  she  says: 

We  knew  him  about  twenty  years  ago,  and  aimed 
to  help  him.  We  saw  he  was  looking  in  our  direc- 
tion, and  asked  him  to  write  his  thoughts  out.  He 
did  so,  and  then  we  would  take  that  copy  to  correct, 
and  sometimes  so  transform  it  that  he  would  say  it 
was  our  composition,  which  it  virtually  was;  but  we 
always  gave  him  back  the  copy  and  sometimes  wrote 
his  name  on  the  back  of  it.  [Quoted  from  Milmine, 
ibid.] 

In  several  subsequent  editions  of  Science  and 
Health  she  says: 

I  healed  some  of  his  patients,  and  also  corrected 
some  of  his  desultory  paragraphs  which  he  com- 
mitted to  paper,  besides  leaving  with  him  some  of 
my  own  writings  which  are  now  claimed  as  his 
[20th  ed.,  p.  7]. 

The  humour  of  the  idea  of  the  Mrs.  Patterson 
of  1864  posing  as  the  corrector  of  any  one's  desul- 
tory paragraphs  is  refreshing  to  those  who  are  at 
all  familiar  with  her  own  unrevised  writings  of 
this  and  following  years.  But  having  once  opened 
up  this  line  of  defense  she  did  her  best  toehold 
her  position. 

One  of  her  most  pressing  needs  now  was  a  wit- 
ness or  two  to  assist  her  in  her  trial  against  Mr. 
Arens.  So  among  the  former  friends  of  Mr. 
Quimby  and  herself  she  searched  for  some  one 
who  would  sustain  this  representation  of  her  in- 


168  THE  NON-SENSE  OP  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

valuable  contributions  to  Mr.  Quimby's  literature 
on  mental  healing.  In  order  that  the  reader  may 
get  some  idea  of  the  manoeuvers  she  executed  to 
gain  such  witnesses  we  will  give  one  instance. 

Mrs.  Sarah  G.  Crosby  was  at  Mr.  Quimby's  in 
1864  when  Mrs.  Eddy,  then  Mrs.  Patterson,  re- 
turned to  study  with  him.  She  and  Mrs.  Patter- 
son became  fast  friends.  When  they  left  Port- 
land, Mrs.  Patterson  accompanied  her  to  her 
home  and  remained  with  her  several  months.  It 
was  during  this  visit  that  she,  acting  as  a  medium, 
received  several  "  spirit "  letters  from  her  dead 
brother  Albert.  This  accounts  for  the  mention 
of  his  name  in  the  following  letter.  It  is  an  at- 
tempt to  revive  fond  remembrances  of  those  dear 
old  days.  Mrs.  Crosby  was  an  expert  court  sten- 
ographer, and  in  1877  Mrs.  Eddy  called  her  to 
Lynn  to  take  down  a  series  of  lectures  which  she 
was  then  delivering,  extemporaneously,  to  her  stu- 
dents. Naturally  in  her  "  trying  hour  "  when  she 
needed  the  assistance  of  a  trusted  and  tried  friend 
of  former  days,  the  spirit  of  her  brother  Albert 
visited  her  in  the  night  and  reminded  her  of  Mrs. 
Crosby.  Though  Mrs.  Crosby  was  still  friendly 
toward  Mrs.  Eddy  and  would  have  been  glad  to 
help  her  if  possible,  this  time  she  asked  something 
that  she  was  not  willing  to  do.  The  account  of 
Mrs.  Eddy's  appeal  and  Mrs.  Crosby's  reply  is 
contained  in  an  affidavit  which  Mrs.  Crosby  made. 
We  will  give  part  of  this  sworn  statement: 


KOK-SENSE  EEVELATI0N9  169 

In  June,  1883,  an  attorney  representing  said  Mrs. 
Patterson  came  to  see  me  at  Waterville,  my  present 
home,  and  interviewed  me  regarding  her  work  with 
Dr.  Quimby  in  Portland  in  1864.  I  refused  to  an- 
swer his  questions  and  he  left,  but  returned  the  next 
day  bearing  an  affectionate  letter  from  said  Mrs. 
Patterson.     The  following  is  a  copy  thereof: 

"  My  dear  Sister, 
Sarah, — 

"  I  wanted  to  see  you  myself  but  it  was  im- 
possible for  me  to  leave  my  home  and  so  have  sent 
the  bearer  of  this  note  to  see  you  for  me. 

"  Two  nights  ago  I  had  a  sweet  dream  of  Albert 
and  the  dear  face  w^as  so  familiar,  oh  how  I  loved 
him!  and  in  the  morning  a  thought  popped  into  my 
head  to  ask  Sarah  to  help  me  in  this  very  trying 
hour. 

"  These  are  the  circumstances.  A  student  of  my 
husband's  took  the  class-book  of  mine  that  he  studied, 
put  his  name  to  most  of  it,  and  published  it  as  his 
own  after  he  was  through  with  the  class.     *     *     * 

"  So  I  noticed  in  my  next  edition  of  *  Science  and 
Health'  his  infringement  with  a  sharp  reprimand 
thinking  that  would  stop  him,  but  this  winter  he 
issued  another  copy  of  my  work  as  the  author,  and 
then  I  sued  him.  The  next  thing  he  did  was  to 
publish  the  falsehood  that  I  stole  my  works  from  the 
late  Dr.  Quimby.  When  everything  I  ever  had  pub- 
lished has  been  written  or  edited  by  me  as  spontane- 
ously as  I  teach  or  lecture. 

*'  Now  dear  one,  I  want  you  to  tell  this  man,  the 
bearer  of  this  note,  that  you  know  that  Dr.  Quimby 
and  I  were  friends  and  that  I  used  to  take  his  scrib- 
blings  and  fix  them  over  for  him  and  give  him  my 


170  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

thoughts  and  language  which,  as  I  understood  it, 
were  far  in  advance  of  his. 

"  Will  you  do  this  and  give  an  affidavit  to  this 
effect  and  greatly  oblige  your  Affectionate  Sister 
Mary." 

I  read  the  foregoing  appeal  for  help  from  said 
Mrs.  Patterson,  then  Eddy,  and  as  it  was  clearly  a 
request  that  I  should  make  oath  to  what  was  not 
true,  I  informed  the  attorney  that  I  should  not  make 
the  affidavit  asked  by  his  client,  as  it  would  not  be  a 
true  statement.  He  then  threatened  to  summon  me 
to  the  trial,  but  I  think  I  made  him  understand  that 
I  would  not  be  a  desirable  witness  on  his  side  of  the 
case.  He  thereupon  departed,  and  I  was  not  sum- 
moned to  testify.  And  since  that  interview,  I  have 
only  a  public  knowledge  of  said  Mrs.  Patterson- 
Eddy.     [Quoted  from  Milmine,  ibid.] 

This  statement  shows  the  kind  of  person  with 
whom  we  are  now  dealing.  But  her  manoeuvers 
did  not  succeed.  Like  Mrs.  Crosby,  every  one  of 
Mr.  Quimby's  friends  remained  loyal  to  him,  and 
not  one  of  them  w^ould  consent  to  become  a  party 
to  any  such  outrageous  misrepresentation  of  Mrs. 
Patterson*s  relation  to  him. 

This  whole  line  of  defense  turned  out  to  be  very 
poor  strategy,  for  it  needlessly  exposed  Mrs.  Eddy 
to  the  merciless  fire  of  the  enemy.  Many  persons 
who  had  known  both  Mr.  Quimby  and  Mrs.  Pat- 
terson came  forward  and  volunteered  information 
to  prove  that  Mrs.  Patterson  when  she  first  came 
to  Mr.  Quimby  to  be  cured  knew  nothing  what- 
ever of  this  Science  of  Mental  Healing.    And  Mr. 


NON-SENSE  EEVELATIONS  171 

Dresser  and  Mr.  Quimby's  son  were  easily  able  to 
prove  that  Mrs.  Eddy  had  never  seen  or  touched 
one  of  the  original  Quimby  manuscripts,  all  of 
which  had  been  composed,  transcribed,  and  filed 
away  months  before  Mrs.  Patterson's  first  visit  in 
1862,  let  alone  her  return  visit  in  1864.  And  they 
were  also  able  to  prove  that  these  original  manu- 
scripts, which  Mrs.  Eddy  had  never  seen,  con- 
tained the  very  same  statements,  word  for  word, 
that  the  copies  which  Mrs.  Eddy  had  seen  con- 
tained. Mr.  George  A.  Quimby,  in  a  letter  to  Mr. 
A.  J.  Swartz,  dated  February  23,  1888,  says: 

I  have  my  father's  manuscripts  in  my  possession, 
but  will  not  allow  them  to  be  copied  nor  go  out  of 
my  hands.  Answering  your  further  inquiries,  I  have 
no  written  article  of  Mrs.  Eddy's  in  my  possession, 
have  never  had,  nor  did  my  father  ever  have,  nor 
did  she  ever  leave  any  with  either  of  us.  *  *  * 
Yours  truly, 

George  A.  Quimby. 
[Quoted  from  Milmine,  ibid.] 

As  a  result  of  these  counter-attacks  Mrs.  Eddy 
was  utterly  routed  upon  this  defensive  front  and 
forced  to  beat  a  hasty  retreat  from  such  an  unten- 
able position.  It  is  interesting  to  note,  however, 
that  to-day  loyal  Christian  Scientists  are  led  back 
to  this  exploded  theory  for  their  explanation  of 
the  undeniable  identity  of  the  two  systems  of  men- 
tal healing.  In  the  authorized  Life  of  Mrs.  Eddy 
by  Sibyl  Wilbur  there  is  a  chapter  entitled  The 


172  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

Mystery  of  the  Quimby  Manuscripts  in  which  the 
author  goes  to  great  length  to  support  this  theory. 
Its  first  paragraph  is  typical: 

Through  the  writings  of  Mary  Baker  on  what  she 
thought  Quimby  believed,  "  Quimbyism "  and 
Quimby  manuscripts  came  to  have  a  factitious  ex- 
istence. Her  writings  were  given  into  Quimby's 
keeping  and  were  doubtless  copied  by  other  patients ; 
her  explanations  of  his  cures  were  often  accepted 
instead  of  Quimby's,  even  Quimby  himself  accepting 
them  in  part,  flattered  at  the  interpretation  put  upon 
him  and  his  work  [p.  97]. 

Christian  Scientists  do  not  like  the  associations 
of  the  name  Mrs.  Patterson,  so  it  is  dropped  and 
Mary  Baker  substituted.  This  passage  shows  how 
ably  this  authorized  Life  supports  all  of  Mrs. 
Eddy's  theories. 

But  whatever  present-day  Christian  Scientists 
may  believe  concerning  this  theory,  there  is  no 
doubt  about  the  fact  that  Mrs.  Eddy  and  her  ad- 
visers of  that  period  realized  that  it  was  time  to 
abandon  that  line  of  defense.  For  after  having 
conducted  the  retreat  before  mentioned  they  next 
open  up  their  defense  upon  an  entirely  different 
front.  Quimby  and  Quimbyism  are  deserted. 
There  is  no  true  identity  between  the  two  sys- 
tems of  healing.  Quimby  is  now  declared  to  have 
been  a  mesmerist,  the  arch  enemy  of  true  mental 
healing.  And  Mrs.  Eddy  the  founder  of  a  brand 
new  system  of  mental  healing  which  she  discov- 


NONSENSE  EEVELATIONS  173 

ered  after  his  death.  At  first  it  looked  as  if  this 
new  defense  could  not  hope  to  fare  any  better  than 
its  predecessor,  for  in  the  writings  of  Mrs.  Patter- 
son there  was  so  much  which  went  to  great  length 
to  prove  that  the  Mr.  Quimby  who  cured  her  was 
not  a  mesmerist,  but  that  he  had  outgrown  this 
theory  long  before  she  knew  him  and  was  at  that 
time  practicing  the  true  science  of  mental  healing, 
Then  there  were  those  statements  in  which  she 
had  repeatedly  affirmed  that  she  had  made  her 
"  first  experiments  "  in  mental  healing  long  before 
her  first  visit  to  Mr.  Quimby.  But  she  had  come 
to  her  last  trench;  there  was  nothing  else  left  to 
do.  If  she  could  not  in  this  way  prove  herself  the 
original  discoverer  of  this  science  of  mental  heal- 
ing, her  cause  was  lost.  The  situation  was  dark 
enough,  but  you  can  never  tell  what  sort  of  a 
thing  you  can  get  away  with  until  you  try.  Life 
has  furnished  many  amazing  surprises  along  this 
line.  And  it  has  another  in  store.  We  have  now 
before  us  the  historical  causes  which  forced  Mrs. 
Eddy  to  shift  her  position  upon  the  manner  and 
date  of  her  discovery  to  the  year  1866,  after  Mr. 
Quimby's  death. 

The  logic  of  this  move  was  irresistible.  Any 
one  can  see  that  if  Mrs.  Eddy  did  not. know  any- 
thing about  this  idea  of  mental  healing  until  after 
Quimby  was  dead  and  buried,  she  could  not  have 
obtained  it  from  him.  So  in  sheer  desperation 
this  plan  of  campaign  was  adopted. 


174  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

This  new  idea  necessitated  a  complete,  abrupt 
break  with  the  past,  and  a  sudden,  spectacular  dis- 
covery of  the  new  system  of  mental  healing  which 
was  to  be  installed.  It  was  to  meet  this  extreme 
I  emergency  that  the  almost  forgotten  **  fall  in 
Lynn "  was  dug  up,  resuscitated,  fixed  over, 
dressed  in  becoming  religious  garb,  and  thus  mag- 
ically transformed  into  a  **  miraculous  recovery," 
on  Sunday,  the  third  day,  through  which  God  re- 
vealed to  Mrs.  Eddy  this  brand  new  principle  of 
scientific  mental  healing.  It  seemed  like  hoping 
against  hope  to  expect  to  succeed  with  this,  but, 
marvellous  to  relate,  with  the  history  of  her  whole 
previous  career  in  mental  healing  disproving  it, 
with  all  her  early  letters  and  articles  contradicting 
her  later  statements,  with  every  preceding  edition 
of  Science  and  Health  plainly  giving  another  time 
and  manner  of  discovery,  it  worked.  The  cus- 
todians of  truth  certainly  must  have  been  asleep 
on  guard !  To  bring  back  to  life  that  "  fall  in 
Lynn"  after  it  had  been  dead  and  buried  eight 
years,  and  to  make  it  the  miraculous  source  of  the 
discovery  of  Christian  Science,  is  the  greatest  of 
all  of  Mrs.  Eddy's  miracles.  No  wonder  that  she 
should  claim  that  Christian  Science  can  "  raise  the 
dead"! 

By  the  time  the  next  edition  of  Science  and 
Health  appears,  in  1884,  the  new  method  of  dis- 
covery and  the  new  date  are  given  just  as  though 
there  had  never  been  any  other.     How  quickly 


NON-SENSE  EEVELATIONS  175 

people  forget,  and  how  soon  generations  die !  The 
new  story  is  told  in  this  fashion: 

After  about  the  year  1862,  having  heard  of  a  mes- 
merist in  Portland  who  was  healing  the  sick  by 
manipulation,  we  visited  him ;  he  helped  us  for  a  time, 
then  we  had  a  relapse.  Somewhat  after  his  decease, 
and  a  severe  casualty  deemed  fatal  by  skillful  physi- 
cians, we  discovered  that  the  principle  of  all  healing 
and  the  law  that  governs  it  is  God,  a  divine  Principle, 
and  by  a  spiritual,  not  a  material  law,  we  regained 
health.  He  died  in  1865.  We  helped  him  to  the 
esteem  of  the  public,  but  never  knew  of  his  stating 
orally  or  in  writing  that  he  treated  his  patients 
mentally  [p.  3f.]. 

Science  and  Health  Becomes  a  Divinely  Inspired 
Book.  When  Science  and  Health  first  made  its  ap- 
pearance it  was  just  an  ordinary  book  on  mental 
healing.  Mrs.  Eddy  did  not  claim  anything  else 
for  it.  So  it  was  compelled  to  fight  for  its  life  upon 
its  intrinsic  merits.  The  result  was  that  it  fell 
flat.  Mr.  Spofford,  who  had  entire  charge  of  the 
publication  and  sale  of  this  first  edition,  went  over 
Its  whole  history  with  the  writer.  After  he  had 
done  his  utmost  to  obtain  for  it  favourable  pub- 
licity by  sending  a  copy  to  Carlyle  and  other  dis- 
tinguished writers,  to  Oxford  and  Harvard  Uni- 
versities, and  other  libraries,  it  had  cost  its  pub- 
lishers $1,500.  But  Mrs.  Eddy  would  not  share 
with  her  friends  a  penny  of  this  loss.  For  a  num- 
ber of  editions  it  had  a  similar  fate.  It  was  not 
until  It  was  transformed  Into  a  "  divine  revela- 


176  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

tion  "  that  its  fortunes  changed.  As  soon  as  it 
assumed  the  character  of  *'  God's  Book,"  it  took 
on  a  new  lease  of  life.  The  reader  need  not  be 
told  that  this  change  took  place  simultaneously 
with  that  of  the  change  in  the  date  and  nature  of 
the  discovery  of  Christian  Science,  which  fol- 
lowed upon  Mr.  Dresser's  expose  in  the  Boston 
Post,  February  24,  1883.  So  it  is  in  the  same 
edition,  published  in  1884,  that  we  not  only  find 
the  date  of  its  discovery  changed  to  1866,  but  we 
find  this  statement: 

Since  our  discovery  in  i866,  not  one  of  our  printed 
works  was  ever  copied  or  abstracted  from  the  pub- 
lished or  from  the  unpublished  writings  of  any  one 
[p.  3]. 

In  this  edition  for  the  first  time  the  "  Key  to  the 
Scriptures  "  makes  its  appearance.  The  new  idea 
is  getting  into  shape.     Soon  Mrs.  Eddy  says: 

No  human  pen  nor  tongue  taught  me  the  science 
contained  in  Science  and  Health  [p.  no]. 

By  January,  1901,  we  have  a  "divinely  in- 
spired "  book  on  our  hands.  Of  it  Mrs.  Eddy 
says: 

I  should  blush  to  write  of  "Science  and  Health, 
with  Key  to  the  Scriptures  "  as  I  have,  were  it  of 
human  origin  and  I  apart  from  God,  its  author,  but 
as  I  was  only  a  scribe  echoing  the  harmonies  of 
Heaven  in  divine  metaphysics,  I  cannot  be  super- 
modest  of  the  Christian  Science  Text-book.  [Quoted 
from  Peabody,  p.  57.] 


NON^-SENSE  REVELATIONS  177 

The  Undeniable  Source  of  Her  Science  of  Men- 
tal Healing.  As  mental  healing  is  the  funda- 
mental idea  which  gives  to  Science  and  Health  all 
the  unity  the  book  possesses,  we  will  begin  by 
tracing  it  to  its  source.  Even  Mrs.  Eddy  and 
Sibyl  Wilbur,  her  authorized  biographer,  do  not 
presume  to  deny  that,  prior  to  1866,  Mrs.  Eddy 
believed  in  and  taught  Quimby's  science  of  mental 
healing.  They  content  themselves  by  pointing  out 
that  it  was  her  miraculous  recovery,  in  1866, 
which  caused  her  final  and  complete  break  with 
Quimby's  false  science  of  mental  healing,  and  the 
discovery  of  the  "  true  science."  Mrs.  Eddy  sta- 
tions the  impassable  gulf  which  separates  the  two 
sciences  after  her  triumphant  demonstration  on 
February  3.  Sibyl  Wilbur,  however,  finds  this  a 
little  too  early.  That  damaging  letter  to  Mr. 
Dresser  on  February  15  must  first  be  explained 
and  disposed  of.  Even  she  ignores  those  three 
professional  visits  for  which  Mrs.  Eddy  paid  Dr. 
Gushing  in  August,  1866.  The  Dresser  letter  she 
styles  a  temporary  relapse,  "a  last  backward 
glance  to  Quimby  and  Quimbyism."  With  that 
appeal  to  Quimbyism  and  Mr.  Dresser's  refusal  to 
come  to  her  help,  the  break  becomes  final  and  the 
impassable  gulf  is  put  In  its  proper  position. 
Sibyl  Wilbur  brings  this  out  thus: 

Quimby  was  dead;  Quimbyism  had  perished  with 
him.  No  one  remained  of  those  who  had  gathered 
round  him  in  life  to  pei*petuate  his  peculiar  influence. 


178  THE  NOK-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

Her  fall  had  destroyed  the  very  work  she  had  so  long 
credited  him  with.  Everything  must  begin  anew  for 
her;  life  must  be  made  completely  over.  She  was 
forced  to  turn  to  God  [p.  135]- 

Let  us  take  them  at  their  own  word  and  meet 
them  upon  their  own  ground.  Until  February, 
1866,  it  is  agreed  that  Quimby's  science  of  mental 
healing  was  Mrs.  Eddy's  obsession.  Then  comes 
the  break,  and  the  impassable  gulf  is  located  here. 

If  any  fact  is  capable  of  being  sustained  by  in- 
disputable evidence,  no  honest  student  of  this  sub- 
ject can  doubt  that  for  years  after  1866  Mrs. 
Eddy  was  still  frankly  and  ardently  teaching 
Quimby's  science  of  mental  healing.  It  is  impos- 
sible to  read  The  True  History  of  Mental  Science, 
by  Mr.  Julius  A.  Dresser;  The  Philosophy  of 
Mental  Healing,  by  Annette  Dresser;  The  History 
of  the  New  Thought  Movement,  by  Horatio  W. 
Dresser;  The  Life  of  Mary  Baker  Eddy,  by 
Georgine  Milmine ;  The  Religio-Medical  Masquer- 
ade, by  Frederick  W.  Peabody ;  and  the  Court 
Records  of  the  "  Next  Friends  "  Brief  in  the  Su- 
perior Court  of  New  Hampshire,  April  Term, 
1907,  without  being  forced  to  this  unavoidable 
conclusion.  As  this  mass  of  evidence  is  all  avail- 
able to  the  student  it  need  not  be  reproduced  at 
this  time.  We  shall  endeavour  to  prove  that  the 
science  of  mental  healing  contained  in  Science  and 
Health  is  the  Ouimby  science  which  was  Mrs. 
Eddy's  obsession  prior  to  February,  1866. 


NON-SENSE  EEVELATIONS  179 

Article  27,  Section  3,  of  her  '*  inspired  '*  By- 
laws reads: 

The  teachers  of  the  Normal  class  shall  teach  from 
the  chapter  *'  Recapitulation  "  in  Science  and  Health 
with  Key  to  the  Scriptures,  and  from  the  Christian 
Science  Platform,  *  *  *  and  they  shall  teach 
nothing  contrary  thereto.  The  teachers  of  the  Pri- 
mary class  shall  instruct  their  pupils  from  the  said 
chapter  on  "  Recapitulation  "  only  [p.  86]. 

This  by-law,  restricting  all  instruction  to  one 
chapter,  clearly  indicates  that  to  Mrs.  Eddy  this 
one  chapter  contains  the  heart  of  the  whole  thing, 
the  very  best,  clearest,  and  most  unadulterated  ex- 
pression of  her  science  of  mental  healing.  Every 
other  chapter  in  Science  and  Health  is  supplemen- 
tal and  explanatory ;  its  material  cannot  be  trusted. 
It  might  lead  teachers  and  pupils  astray.  But  the 
chapter  on  Recapitulation  can  be  depended  upon. 
This  reduces  our  problem  to  the  question:  Where 
did  she  get  this  chapter,  "  Recapitulation  **  ?  We 
are  helped  along  on  our  quest  by  this  introductory 
paragraph : 

This  chapter  is  from  the  first  edition  of  the 
author's  class-book,  copyrighted  in  1870.  *  *  * 
Absolute  Christian  Science  pervades  its  statements, 
to  elucidate  scientific  metaphysics  [p.  465]. 

So  far  so  good.  Within  this  present  year  the 
writer  spent  a  whole  day  with  Mr.  Daniel  Harri- 
son Spofford  of  Haverhill,  Massachusetts.  As 
all  who  are  familiar  with  the  early  history  of 


180  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

Christian  Science  know,  Mr.  Spofford  was  at  one 
time  Mrs.  Eddy's  business  manager  and  her  most 
esteemed  follower.  She  led  him  and  others  to 
believe  that  he  was  the  one  who  would  become  her 
successor.  As  a  token  of  this  regard  she  gave 
him  the  gold  pen  with  which  she  wrote  the  first 
edition  of  Science  and  Health,  which  with  its  ac- 
companying note  of  appreciation  in  her  own  hand- 
writing, the  writer  had  the  pleasure  of  examining. 
During  the  visit  at  Haverhill  he  was  also  allowed 
to  examine  three  manuscripts  which,  with  his  own 
hand,  Mr.  Spofford  copied  in  1870  from  the  ones 
Mrs.  Eddy  was  at  that  time  using  in  her  class- 
room instruction.  At  that  time,  Mr.  Spofford 
says,  and  for  years  afterward,  she  frankly  admit- 
ted that  they  were  Quimby  manuscripts.  The 
identity  which  Mrs.  Eddy  points  out  between  her 
chapter  on  Recapitulation  and  her  class-room 
manuscript  of  1870  cannot  be  questioned,  for  it  is 
unmistakable.  Mr.  Spofford  placed  this  manu- 
script in  our  hands  first,  and  then  he  explained 
when  and  how  the  other  two  were  used. 

Now  the  guardian  angel  of  truth  has  providen- 
tially preserved  another  one  of  the  manuscripts 
from  which  Mrs.  Eddy  taught  in  1867-1869. 
This  manuscript,  which  was  copied  from  Mrs. 
Eddy's  original  by  Mrs.  Sally  Wentworth  of 
Stoughton,  Massachusetts,  with  whom  she  lived 
during  those  years,  came  into  the  possession  of 
Mrs.   Went  worth's  son,   Horace  T.   Wentworth. 


NON-SENSE  EEVELATIONS  181 

That  these  two  manuscripts  are  identical  so  far  as 
their  teaching  is  concerned  is  beyond  dispute  for 
any  one  who  has  compared  them.  The  writer  has 
carefully  gone  over  corresponding  passages  in  the 
two  manuscripts  and  found  them  word  for  word 
the  same.  The  interesting  feature  of  this  Went- 
worth  manuscript  is,  that  it  bears  the  title:  *'  Ex- 
tracts from  Doctor  P.  P.  Quimby's  Writings." 
This  Wentworth  manuscript  has  been  compared 
with  Quimby's  original  class-room  manuscript 
and,  with  the  exception  of  the  introduction,  which 
is  Mrs.  Eddy's,  is  a  precise  copy.  Thus  the  **  ab- 
solute statements  "  of  Christian  Science  contained 
in  the  chapter  of  Science  and  Health  entitled  ''  Re- 
capitulation "  have  been  traced  back  to  the  1870 
class-book  manuscript,  and  from  there  to  Dr.  P. 
P.  Quimby's  class-room  manuscript,  entitled 
"  Questions  and  Answers."  And  this  Quimby 
manuscript  was  written  in  February,  1862,  nine 
months  before  Mrs.  Eddy  visited  him  the  first 
time".^  No  honest  student  who  has  examined  these 
manuscripts  can  doubt  their  identity.  The  evi- 
dence is  indubitable. 

There  is  one  marked  difference.  Quimby  did 
not  take  the  trouble  or  precaution  to  have  his  writ- 
ings copyrighted.  But  when  Mrs.  Eddy  began  to 
teach  she  realized  what  might  happen  to  her  class- 
room copies  if  they  were  not  copyrighted,  so  she 
took  the  precaution  to  send  this  manuscript  down 
to  Washington  and  have  it  properly  copyrighted 


182  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

in  her  own  name.  So  that  when  J.  A.  Arens, 
one  of  her  former  pupils,  attempted  to  take  some 
of  the  material  from  this  manuscript  and  incor- 
porate it  in  a  book  he  was  publishing,  Mrs.  Eddy 
promptly  had  him  arrested  for  plagiarism  and  his 
>  book  suppressed.  From  the  time  it  was  copy- 
righted in  her  own  name,  it  ceased  to  bear  the  title 
"Extracts  from  Doctor  P.  P.  Quimby's  Writ- 
ings." In  all  other  respects  the  Spofford,  Went- 
worth,  and  Ouimby  manuscripts  are  the  same. 

One  cannot  help  being  deeply  impressed  by  the 
uncanny  way  in  which  the  guardian  angel  of  truth 
has  been  keeping  tabs  on  Mrs.  Eddy's  case.  Here 
is  another  most  interesting  illustration  of  the  way 
she  has  unwittingly  tied  up  her  system  of  mental 
healing  with  that  of  Dr.  P.  P.  Quimby.  Mr.  W. 
W.  Wright  of  Lynn,  the  son  of  a  Universalist 
clergyman,  became  interested  in  Mrs.  Eddy's  sys- 
tem of  mental  healing.  Before  he  joined  her  class 
he  wrote  her  a  letter  in  which  he  propounded  a 
number  of  questions.  This  letter  was  written 
March  7,  1871.  Mrs.  Eddy,  then  Mrs.  Glover, 
promptly  answered  all  of  his  questions.  Among 
them,  all  of  which  were  leading  and  interesting,  is 
this  one: 

6th:  Has  this  theory  ever  been  advertised  or 
practiced  before  you  introduced  it,  or  by  any  other 
individual  ? 

This  is  Mrs.  Eddy's  reply: 


NON-SENSE  BEVELATIONS  183 

6th:  Never  advertised,  and  practiced  by  only  one 
individual  who  healed  me,  Dr.  Quimby  of  Portland, 
Me.,  an  old  gentleman  who  had  made  it  a  research 
for  twenty-five  years,  starting  from  the  standpoint  of 
magnetism,  thence  going  forward  and  leaving  that 
behind.  I  discovered  the  art  in  a  moment's  time,  and 
he  acknowledged  it  to  me ;  he  died  shortly  after  and 
since  then,  eight  years,  I  have  been  founding  and 
demonstrating  the  science.  .  .  .  Please  preserve 
this,  and  if  you  become  my  student  call  me  to  ac- 
count for  the  truth  of  what  I  have  written. 

Respectfully,      M.  M.  B.  Glover. 

[Quoted  from  The  Life  of  Mary  Baker  Eddy,  by 
Georgine  Milmine,  McClure's  Magazine,  March, 
1907,  where  a  photographic  cut  reproduces  this 
statement  in  Mrs.  Eddy's  own  handwriting.] 

This  letter  is  written  five  years  after  that  al- 
leged complete  break  with  the  Quimby  science. 
And  in  1871,  as  in  1870,  Mrs.  Eddy  is  still  frankly 
and  ardently  teaching  Quimby's  science  of  mental 
healing,  the  art  of  which  she  discovered  in  a  ''  mo- 
ment's time "  while  studying  with  Dr.  Quimby, 
and  he  acknowledged  to  her  that  she  had  caught 
his  idea.  We  accept  her  challenge  and  hold  her 
to  account  for  the  truth  of  what  she  has  here  writ- 
ten. Any  human  mind  not  utterly  impervious  to 
facts  and  the  value  of  evidence  must  now  see 
where  Mrs.  Eddy  got  her  system  of  mental  heal- 
ing. Let  it  be  remembered  that  the  whole  issue 
at  stake  is  hanging  upon  the  slender  thread  of  the 
truthfulness  of  Mrs.  Eddy's  statement  that  "  No 
human  pen  nor  tongue  "  taught  her  this  science. 


184  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

When  this  clear-cut  issue  is  relentlessly  pressed, 
Christian  Scientists  conduct  a  retreat  and  begin  to 
open  up  a  counter-attack  upon  another  front. 
They  say  the  Quimby  manuscripts  are  inconse- 
quential. There  is  Science  and  Health ;  it  is  a  big 
volume,  and  undeniably  Mrs.  Eddy  wrote  it.  It 
is  this  book  they  claim  to  be  divinely  inspired. 
What  about  all  the  chapters  besides  the  one  en- 
titled Recapitulation?  Well,  let  us  make  a  good 
job  of  it  and  clean  up  the  whole  subject  of  Science 
and  Health  while  we  are  about  it. 

There  were  two  other  manuscripts  which  Mr. 
Spofford  showed  the  writer,  and  both  were  called 
"  Quimby ''  manuscripts.  That  they  are  amplifi- 
cations of  the  ideas  contained  in  the  above  men- 
tioned chapter  cannot  be  doubted.  But  they  can- 
not be  identified  so  directly  with  any  particular 
Quimby  manuscript.  One  is  the  embryo  of  the 
chapters  on  Natural  Science,  and  on  Spirit  and 
Matter,  contained  in  the  first  edition.  The  third, 
which  is  entitled  Soul's  Inquiries  of  Man,  is  a 
homily  upon  the  moral  and  spiritual  requirements 
of  successful  mental  science  healers.  Of  this  Mrs. 
Eddy  never  made  much  use.  There  is  one  point 
which  Quimby  keeps  constantly  reiterating  in 
these  two  manuscripts,  and  that  is  his  claim  that 
he  has  discovered  the  method  by  which  Jesus 
healed  the  sick  and  performed  His  miracles.  Over 
and  over  again  he  says  he  is  simply  healing  the 
sick  as  Jesus  did.     This  is  one  of  Quimby's  most 


NON-SENSE  REVELATIONS  186 

telling  arguments.  From  another  source  we  pre- 
sent a  typical  passage  upon  this  point;  it  is  from 
Mr.  Horatio  W.  Dresser's  book,  The  History  of 
the  New  Thought  Movement.  He  gathers  up 
Quimby's  idea  in  these  words: 

Return  to  the  Bible  to  see  if  it  be  true  that  it  con- 
tains an  inner  or  spiritual  meaning,  to  see  if  indeed 
there  be  a  neglected  science  of  the  Christ  in  the  New 
Testament,  implying  principles  of  universal  applica- 
tion through  spiritual  healing.  If  so,  this  inner  or 
spiritual  truth  may  be  the  great  truth  of  the  new  age, 
it  may  imply  the  second  coming  of  the  Lord  in 
deepest  reality  [p.  69]. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  express  Quimby's  posi- 
tion more  accurately.  But  it  is  not  necessary  to 
spend  more  time  in  showing  that  this  is  a  familiar 
Quimby  idea.  For  Mrs.  Eddy  herself,  again 
thanks  to  the  guardian  angel  of  truth,  furnishes  us 
with  the  best  evidence  in  her  own  handwriting. 
There  is  in  existence  to-day  a  poem  which  she 
wrote  in  memory  of  Quimby  about  a  week  after 
his  death.     It  bears  this  heading: 

Lines  on  the  Death  of  Dr.  P.  P.  Quimby  who 
healed  the  sick  as  did  Jesus  in  contradistinction  to 
all  Isms.  [Quoted  from  Georgine  Milmine's  Life  of 
Mrs.  Eddy,  McClure's  Magazine,  February,  1907. 
In  this  issue  this  poem  is  presented  in  a  photographic 
cut  in  Mrs.  Eddy's  own  handwriting.] 

It  is  because  of  this  claim  by  Quimby,  that  he 
healed  the  sick  as  Jesus  did,  that  he  sometimes 
called  his  science  of  mental  healing  "  The  Science 


186  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

of  Christ,"  and  "  Christian  Science."  Quimby 
had  ten  volumes  of  manuscripts  upon  all  phases  of 
the  science  of  mental  healing,  and  copies  of  these 
were  accessible  to  all  his  students.  We  shall 
touch  upon  one  of  these  later. 

Andrew  Jackson  Davis  and  His  System  of  Spir- 
itual Healing.  In  addition  to  the  Quimby  source 
there  are  several  others  which  bear  a  striking  rela- 
tion to  Science  and  Health.  In  1856  Andrew 
Jackson  Davis,  the  great  spiritualist,  published  his 
book  entitled  The  Physician.  Though  based  upon 
an  entirely  different  fundamental  principle,  it  has 
many  features  in  common  with  Science  and 
Health.  Davis  v/as  a  brilliant  paragrapher,  and 
his  attacks  upon  physicians,  clergymen,  drugs, 
medicines,  physiology,  and  anatomy,  as  well  as  his 
emphasis  upon  the  superiority  of  spirit  over  mat- 
ter, fill  this  book  with  stimulating  suggestions, 
ideas,  and  illustrations.  Mrs.  Eddy  lived  among 
spiritualists  and  had  been  one  herself,  and  it  is 
hardly  possible  that  such  a  popular  book  upon  her 
pet  hobby  could  have  been  published  in  Boston 
and  she  have  been  ignorant  of  its  existence.  We 
have  space  for  only  a  few  parallels.  Davis  calls 
his  system  of  healing  "  The  Science  of  Life." 
Here  are  a  few  quotations  from  The  Physician: 

The  primary  source  of  all  life  and  power  is  the 
Divine  Mind  [p.  46]. 

Health  and  Harmony  are  identical  [p.  50]. 

How   unprofitable   and   unsatisfactory   are   those 


NON-SENSE  EEYELATIONS  187 

sciences  of  anatomy  and  physiology,  now  in  the 
world,  which  have  for  their  foundation  the  mere  form 
and  function  which  Man's  organization  presents  to 
the  senses  [p.  14]  ! 

It  is  not  your  body,  but  it  is  you — ^your  internal 
self — that  feels,  sees,  hears,  tastes,  and  makes  the 
body  what  it  appears  to  be  [p.  124]. 

Esculapius,  the  god  of  Physic,  and  Hygeia,  the 
goddess  of  Health,  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  duties 
of  the  true  Physician  [p.  223]. 

Physicians  strive  to  cure  dyspepsia,  gout,  nervous- 
ness and  constipation,  without  ever  once  imagining 
that  the  Internal  thinking  Principle  is  the  primary 
disturbing  cause  [p.  224]. 

One  cannot  read  over  even  these  few  quotations 
from  a  book  of  454  pages  without  perceiving  what 
a  gold  mine  it  contains.  And  how  close  its  ideas 
run  to  those  found  in  Science  and  Health.  This, 
with  medical  works  from  which  Mrs.  Eddy  freely 
quotes,  adequately  supplement  the  Quimby  manu- 
scripts and  furnish  enough  material  for  the  medical 
portion  of  her  work. 

The  Key  to  the  Scriptures.  It  is  not  Mrs. 
Eddy  or  Andrew  Jackson  Davis,  but  Swedenborg 
who  has  given  us  the  first  "  Key  to  the  Scrip- 
tures/' And  Mrs.  Eddy  does  not  surpass  him  in 
his  insistence  that  he,  and  not  "  woman,**  is  the 
first  to  know  how  to  interpret  the  Scriptures  cor- 
rectly. His  Science  of  Correspondences  furnishes 
the  true  key,  and  without  it  none  can  unlock  the 
door.  The  writer  has  a  book  of  Swedenborgian 
lectures  given  in  1847,  which  bears  this  significant 


188  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

title:  "The  Science  of  Correspondences — The 
Key  to  the  Heavenly  and  True  Meaning  of  the 
Sacred  Scriptures,"  by  Edward  Madeley.  Mrs. 
Eddy  used  his  word  "  science,"  she  uses  the  phrase 
"  The  Key  to  the  Scriptures,"  but  she  shies  at  the 
word  "correspondence;"  this  is  the  trade  mark 
of  Swedenborgianism.  For  this  word  she  substi- 
tutes "metaphor"  or  "spiritual  meaning."  By 
this  sagacious  precaution  she  seems  to  have 
thrown  readers  off  the  trail  and  saved  her  book 
from  additional  suspicion.  To  get  the  close  rela- 
tion between  Swedenborg's  method  of  interpret- 
ing the  Scriptures  and  that  contained  in  Science 
and  Health  one  has  only  to  read  the  passage  be- 
low, taken  from  the  1919  advertisement  of  Swe- 
denborg's  works  by  the  American  Swedenborg 
Publication  Society.     It  says: 

Swedenborg's  claim  to  distinction  lies  in  the  fact 
that  he  was  a  divinely  chosen  and  prepared  instru- 
ment through  which  the  inner  or  heavenly  meaning 
of  the  Word  of  the  Lord  was  revealed.  His  mission 
was  to  disclose  the  true  nature  of  the  Bible,  showing 
it  to  be  in  a  very  real  and  true  sense  the  actual  in- 
spired Word  of  God,  and  explaining  with  all  neces- 
sary detail  that  its  essential  holiness  is  due  to  the 
fact  that  it  has,  in  every  sentence,  word,  and  syllable, 
a  holy,  internal  sense,  treating  not  of  the  creation  of 
the  material  world  or  of  the  history  of  any  chosen 
people,  but  solely  of  God,  man,  their  relation  to  each 
other,  man's  regeneration,  and  the  life  after  death 
[p.  4f.]. 


NONSENSE  EEVELATIONS  189 

A  careful  analysis  of  the  above  passage  makes 
its  claims  very  familiar.  Mrs.  Eddy  claims  that 
she  is  a  "  divinely  chosen  and  prepared  instrument 
through  which  the  inner  or  heavenly  meaning  of 
the  word  "  is  revealed.  And,  what  is  still  more 
significant,  when  that  inner  meaning  is  given  it 
turns  out  to  be  the  same  style  of  interpretation. 
I  The  form  of  Swedenborg's  ''  key "  is  just  that 
which  appears  in  Science  and  Health.  The  Bible 
verse  is  first  given  in  small  type,  followed  by  his 
comment  in  larger  print.  But  these  external  simi- 
larities are  the  least  impressive.  Let  us  compare 
his  actual  interpretation  of  the  first  chapters  of 
Genesis.  He  introduces  us  to  his  idea  with  this 
explanation : 

From  the  literal  sense  alone,  when  the  mind  is 
fixed  in  it,  no  one  can  ever  see  that  such  things  are 
contained  therein.  Thus  in  these  first  chapters  of 
Genesis,  nothing  else  is  learned  from  the  sense  of  the 
letter  than  that  the  creation  of  the  world  is  treated  of, 
and  the  garden  of  Eden,  which  is  called  Paradise,  and 
Adam  as  the  first  created  man.  Who  supposes  any- 
thing else?  But  it  will  be  sufficiently  established  in 
the  following  pages  that  these  things  contain  arcana 
which  have  never  yet  been  revealed ;  and  indeed  that 
the  first  chapter  of  Genesis  in  the  internal  sense 
treats  in  general  of  the  new  creation  of  man 
[Heavenly  Arcana,  p.  4]. 

With  this  introduction  let  us  plunge  into  his  in- 
terpretation, as  found  in  The  Heavenly  Arcana: 

The  worldly  and  corporeal  man  says  in  his  heart — 


190  THE  NONSENSE  OP  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

If  I  cannot  be  informed  concerning  faith  and  matters 
of  faith  by  the  senses,  that  I  may  see  them,  or  by  out- 
ward knowledge,  that  I  may  understand  them,  I  will 
not  believe.  And  he  confirms  himself  by  the  con- 
sideration that  natural  things  cannot  be  contrary  to 
spiritual.  He  would  therefore  be  informed  by  the 
senses  on  subjects  that  are  heavenly  and  Divine — 
which  yet  is  as  impossible  as  for  a  camel  to  go 
through  the  eye  of  a  needle.  The  more  he  would  be 
wise  by  such  means  the  more  he  blinds  himself.  *  *  * 
And  this  is  to  eat  of  the  knowledge  of  the  tree  of 
good  and  evil,  whereof  the  more  one  eats  the  more 
dead  he  becomes  [p.  6yi.], 

It  is  because  of  the  disastrous  consequences  of 
eating  of  the  "  tree  of  knowledge  "  that  Sweden- 
borg  constantly  warns  his  readers  against  the 
"  fallacies  of  the  senses."  Like  Mrs.  Eddy  he 
maintains : 

All  evils  and  their  falsities  both  engendered  and 
acquired  have  their  seat  in  the  natural  mind  [Divine 
Love  and  Wisdom,  p.  2yy]. 

Let  us  now  borrow  Swedenborg*s  "  key  *'  and 
run  in  and  take  a  look  at  the  animals  in  his  zoo. 
As  we  are  entering  we  are  informed  that  the  only 
reason  corporeal  man  imagines  that  he  sees  birds, 
animals,  and  creeping  things  is  because  he  persists 
in  accepting  the  testimony  of  his  physical  senses. 
Thus  his  "  menagerie  *'  is  made.  This  truth  is 
thus  brought  out: 

As  the  sensual  and  corporeal  man  is  merely  nat- 
ural, and  viewed  in  himself  is  wholly  animal,  and 
differs  from  a  brute  animal  only  in  being  able  to  talk 


NON-SENSE  EEVELATIONS  191 

and  reason,  so  he  is  like  one  living  in  a  menagerie, 
where  there  are  all  kinds  of  wild  beasts  [The  True 
Christian  Religion,  p.  384]. 

As  a  result  of  this  explanation,  just  as  we  are 
starting  to  look  at  the  animals  we  are  told  there 
are  none.     He  says: 

That  the  wild  animal  does  not  signify  a  wild  animal 
nor  the  fowl  a  bird,  may  be  evident  to  every  one 
[P-27]. 

The  creeping  things  which  the  waters  bring  forth 
signify  faculties  of  knowing  which  pertain  to  the 
external  man;  birds  in  general  signify  rational  and 
intellectual  powers  [p.  25 f.]. 

Sea  monsters,  or  whales  signify  the  most  general 
of  the  faculties  of  knowing  [p.  2^]. 

When  we  come  to  man,  Adam,  and  Abraham, 
we  find  the  same  general  ideas. 

It  is  the  Most  Ancient  Church  that  is  treated  of 
and  called  man.  And  when  he  is  called  Adam  it 
signifies  that  man  was  from  the  ground.  *  *  * 
This  is  the  origin  of  the  name  [p.  144]. 

Abraham,  not  him  at  all  which  lived,  but  saving 
faith  [p.  41]. 

I  Thus  all  the  Old  Testament  worthies  are  re- 
?  duced  to  ideas.  A  glance  at  Mrs.  Eddy's  Glos- 
'  sary  shows  the  same  scheme. 

Rev.  Warren  F.  Evans,  Father  of  the  New 
Thought  Movement.  Now,  where  did  she  get  the 
idea  of  combining  Swedenborg's  spiritual  philos- 
ophy with  Quimby's  science  of  mental  healing? 
We  would  like  to  give  her  credit  for  something 


192  THE  NON-SENSE  OP  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

original  in  her  "  divine  revelation,"  but  not  for 
this.  For  both  Andrew  Jackson  Davis  and 
Quimby  had  made  that  combination  long  before 
she  thought  of  it.  Quimby  had  a  manuscript  vol- 
ume on  the  subject,  "  Scientific  Interpretations  of 
Various  Parts  of  the  Scriptures,"  and  in  this  vol- 
ume he  had  worked  out  the  "  inner  or  spiritual 
meaning  of  the  Bible."  Davis  had  written  a  large 
book  on  The  Principles  of  Nature,  Her  Divine 
Revelations,  and  A  Voice  to  Mankind.  This  con- 
tained its  Key  to  the  Scriptures.  Mrs.  Eddy  had 
free  access  to  these  books.  Then  there  was  Rev. 
Warren  Evans,  a  Swedenborgian  clergyman,  now 
the  acknowledged  father  of  the  New  Thought 
Movement,  who  came  to  Quimby  in  1863  as  a  pa- 
tient, and  soon  became  interested  in  blending  the 
two  systems  together.  Concerning  tliis  attempt 
Mr.  Horatio  W.  Dresser  in  his  History  of  the 
New  Thought  Movement  says: 

He  had  all  the  essentials,  so  far  as  spiritual  prin- 
ciples were  concerned;  for  the  devotee  of  Sweden- 
borg  has  a  direct  clue  to  the  application  of  spiritual 
philosophy  to  life.  What  Mr.  Evans  lacked  was  the 
new  impetus,  to  put  two  and  two  together.  He  lacked 
the  method  by  which  to  apply  his  ideal  and  his  the- 
ology to  health.  Mr.  Quimby  gave  him  this  im- 
petus. He  possessed  the  method.  Mr.  Evans  with 
ready  perception  saw  the  connection  and  was  quick  in. 
his  discernment  of  the  values  of  the  new  practice 
[P-  72]. 

Mr.  Evans  soon  opened  a  mental  healing  sani- 


NON-SENSE  REVELATIONS  193 

torium,  and  practiced  successfully  for  many  years. 
He  wrote  a  book  on  mental  healing,  in  1869,  en- 
titled, The  Mental  Cure;  another,  in  1873,  en- 
titled. Mental  Medicine.  In  this  latter  book  we 
find  this  significant  interpretation  of  Quimby's 
principle  of  healing: 

Disease  being  in  its  root  a  wrong  belief,  change 
that  belief  and  we  cure  the  disease.  *  *  *  The 
late  Dr.  Quimby,  one  of  the  most  successful  healers 
of  this  or  any  age,  embraced  this  view  of  the  nature 
of  disease,  and  by  a  long  succession  of  the  most  re- 
markable cures  proved  the  truth  of  the  theory  and 
the  efficiency  of  that  mode  of  treatment.  *  *  * 
He  seemed  to  reproduce  the  wonders  of  the  Gospel 
history  [p.  210]. 

This  second  book,  as  has  been  stated,  was  pub- 
lished in  1872,  three  years  before  Science  and 
Health.  Mrs.  Eddy  had  heard  much  of  this  Rev. 
Warren  Evans,  a  Dartmouth  College  graduate,  a 
clergyman,  and  an  M.  D.,  who  had  lately  come 
into  the  ranks  of  Quimby's  followers,  and  who,  at 
the  time  of  her  second  visit  to  Quimby,  was  prac- 
ticing mental  healing.  In  later  years  many  of  her 
most  intelligent  followers  joined  his  cult.  Against 
him  she  drew  up  her  by-law  forbidding  her  fol- 
lowers to  read  any  other  books  on  mental  healing. 
To  him  she  is  indebted  for  that  priceless  word 
"metaphysical,"  which  she  for  so  many  years 
rolled  as  a  sweet  morsel  under  her  tongue,  and 
which  provided  her  with  the  idea  of  a  "meta- 


194  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

physical  '*  college.  Mrs.  Eddy  was  a  ravenous 
reader  of  every  book  that  promised  help  in  her 
line,  and  the  valuable  work  of  this  educated  man 
in  this  particular  field  had  not  escaped  her  watch- 
ful eye. 

Mother  Ann  Lee  and  the  Shakers,  Having  dis- 
covered that  the  credulity  of  some  is  unlimited,  and 
having  attained  every  goal  to  which  ordinary  mor- 
tals are  heir — wealth,  power,  fame,  religious  pre- 
eminence— she  decides  to  put  human  credulity  to 
the  supreme  test.  And,  not  without  an  underlying 
vein  of  humour,  she  decides  to  become  divine.  It 
is  asking  too  much  to  allow  her  name  longer  to  be 
associated  promiscuously  with  common  mortals, 
ordinary  Bible  prophets,  religious  leaders,  found- 
ers of  other  religious  cults ;  she  does  not  belong  in 
their  class.  No  less  personages  than  the  Virgin 
Mary,  who  is  worshipped  and  to  whom  prayers  are 
made,  and  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  called  God,  shall 
hereafter  be  honoured  as  her  compeers.  So  she 
begins  to  design  a  halo  for  her  head  and  to  de- 
mand that  a  starry  crown  be  placed  upon  her 
brow.     She  classifies  herself  in  this  manner: 

No  person  can  take  the  individual  place  of  the 
Virgin  Mary.  No  person  can  compass  or  fulfill  the 
individual  mission  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  No  person 
can  take  the  place  of  the  author  of  Science  and 
Health,  the  discoverer  and  founder  of  Christian 
Science.  Each  individual  must  fill  his  own  niche  in 
time  and  eternity. 

The  second  appearing  of  Jesus  is,  unquestionably, 


NON-SENSE  EEVELATIONS  195 

the  spiritual  advent  of  the  advancing  idea  of  God  as 
in  Christian  Science  [Retrospection  and  Introspec- 
tion, p.  96]. 

What  this  final  pretension  to  divinity  involves 
has  already  been  fully  shown  in  the  chapter  on 
Non-Sense  Christianity.  The  novelty  of  a  v/oman 
claiming  to  be  the  second  coming  of  Christ  to  this 
world  seems,  at  first,  to  entitle  Mrs.  Eddy  at  last 
to  one  original  idea.  But  even  here  she  is  a  bor- 
rower. Ann  Lee,  the  founder  of  the  Shaker  re- 
ligion, anticipated  Mrs.  Eddy  at  this  point  by 
about  a  century.  And  there  were  many  Shaker 
colonies  busy  with  their  propaganda  in  the  New 
England  of  Mrs.  Eddy's  prime.  The  writer  has 
visited  some  of  these  Shaker  colonies,  and  was 
personally  acquainted  with  some  of  their  former 
I  leaders.  Georgine  Milmine  has  clearly  pointed 
J  out  many  striking  resemblances  between  some  of 
'  Mrs.  Eddy*s  ideas  and  those  of  the  Shakers.  And 
in  this  she  has  made  no  mistake.  When  Mrs. 
Eddy  arrived  at  the  stage  of  her  career  where  she 
decided  to  become  divine,  she  felt  the  aflfinity  of 
her  idea  to  that  of  Mother  Ann  Lee.  The  "  Mother 
Church,"  the  feminine  idea  in  Deity,  celibacy,  and 
a  number  of  other  ideas  are  fundamental  to  the 
Shakers.  Take  the  idea  of  Christ  coming  the 
second  time  as  a  woman;  this  is  carefully  worked 
out  by  them.  Henry  Blinn  has  a  pamphlet  en- 
titled. The  Advent  of  Christ  in  Man  and  Woman. 
In  it  he  says: 


196  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

We  are  quite  as  well  prepared  to  show  as  plainly 
by  reason  as  by  Scripture  that  the  Second  Appearing 
of  Christ  would  be  manifested  in  a  woman,  as  that 
the  first  Appearing  would  be  manifested  in  a  man. 
It  is  evident  that  a  masculine  and  a  feminine  element 
are  equally  apparent.  A  Heavenly  Father,  Mother, 
Son,  should  seem  more  rational  [p.  i]. 

The  reader  will  recall  that  this  is  the  exact  trin- 
ity which  Mrs.  Eddy,  in  later  years,  gives  in 
Science  and  Health.  Only  she  switches  the  order 
around  so  that  it  is  "Father,  Son,  Mother/'  With 
this  introduction  Mr.  Blinn  continues: 

We  think  that  the  manifestation  of  the  Mother  in 
Deity  is  as  clearly  represented  in  Scriptures  as  is  the 
Father  in  Deity.  Jesus  was  the  first  spiritual  teacher 
who  fully  represented  God  as  Father,  **  Our  Father 
who  art  in  Heaven."  So  soon  as  this  term  was  ex- 
pressed it  implied  the  other,  and  we  now  pray: 
**Our  Father,  Mother,  who  art  in  Heaven"  [p.  3]. 

In  the  later  editions  of  Science  and  Health,  after 
Mrs.  Eddy  has  set  her  heart  upon  being  pro- 
claimed "  divine,"  she  has  revised  her  previous 
versions  of  the  Lord's  prayer,  and  made  its  open- 
ing sentence  read :  "  Our  Father-Mother,  God." 
Added  to  this  Shaker  idea  of  the  feminine  in 
Deity,  there  is  to  be  seen  the  "  Mother  "  idea,  in 
which  Mrs.  Eddy  becomes  the  "  Mother,"  in  place 
of  Ann  Lee.  She  also  becomes  the  Second  Ap- 
pearing of  Christ  in  the  world,  Instead  of  Ann 
Lee.     She  also  becomes  the  woman  clothed  with 


NON-SENSE  EEVELATIONS  197 

the  sun,  whose  coming  is  foretold  in  Revelation 
12,  instead  of  Ann  Lee,  as  the  Shakers  had  so 
carefully  worked  out  the  idea.  Every  one  of  the 
feminine  ideas  from  the  Shaker  religion  is  repro- 
duced in  the  Eddyology  of  Christian  Science,  and 
has  been  made  to  do  valiant  service  in  the  cause  of 
her  deification. 

In  the  "Mother  Church,"  Boston,  there  is  a 
stained  glass  window  appropriately  representing 
the  Apocalytic  woman  clothed  with  the  sun ;  upon 
her  brow  rests  a  crown  studded  with  twelve  stars. 
The  inscription  reads:  "The  Woman  God 
Crowned."  And  this  woman  is  none  other  than 
The   Reverend  Mary   Baker,   Glover,    Patterson, 

Eddy, .     And  her  last  goal  has  been  attained. 

A  halo  now  always  hovers  about  her  head,  a  starry 
crown  rests  upon  her  saintly  brow,  her  followers 
proclaim  her  "  divine  "  and  worship  her  as  their 
Lord.  This  final  achievement  stands  as  an  im- 
pressive monument  to  the  limitless  capacity  for 
religious  credulity  resident  in  human  nature. 

To  fill  in  the  vacant  spaces  in  the  religious  fore- 
ground of  the  picture,  a  few  incidental  ideas  are 
thrown  into  Science  and  Health.  Swedenborg's 
concept  of  God  as  "  Love  "  is  stretched  into  Uni- 
versalism.  Baptism  as  purification  by  spirit,  si- 
lent prayer,  and  a  spiritual  communion  service 
without  material  elements  are  borrowed  from  the 
Quakers.  Opposition  to  a  personal  Trinity,  and 
a  creedless  church  with  only  religious  tenets,  are 


198  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

plainly  Unitarian  in  their  source.  For  this  is  the 
very  distinction  adopted  by  the  first  General  Uni- 
tarian Convocation  held  in  1865.  Even  Darwin 
and  Agassiz  are  made  to  contribute  to  her  collec- 
tion. Thus  every  important  idea  in  Science  and 
Health  can  be  traced  back  to  some  earlier  existing 
human  source.  The  only  exception  being  her  pet 
hobby, — malicious  animal  magnetism.  At  the 
start  this  seemed  to  be  a  strictly  original  idea,  but 
she  soon  pushed  it  back  into  demonology  and 
thereby  revealed  its  origin. 

It  seems  hardly  necessary  to  call  attention  to 
the  fact  that  in  tracing  the  ideas  contained  in 
Science  and  Health  to  their  original  sources  the 
writer  is  not  passing  criticism  upon  any  of  the 
faiths  mentioned.  He  is  simply  trying  to  show 
how  unnecessary  a  direct  revelation  of  such  ideas 
was  when  every  one  of  them  in  some  form  or 
other  had  already  found  adequate  expression  by 
human  pen  and  tongue.  And  that  they  were  all 
within  the  range  of  Mrs.  Eddy's  knowledge.  The 
reader  who  is  interested  in  pursuing  this  subject  of 
supplemental  sources  farther,  will  find  it  worked 
out  in  much  greater  detail  in  the  Biblical  Review, 
April,  1931. 


VI 

WHERE  NON-SENSE  CEASES  AND 
SENSE  BEGINS 

MRS.  EDDY'S  God-ordained  mission 
did  not  end  when  her  two  alleged  di- 
vine revelations  were  at  last  faithfully 
transmitted  to  humanity.  Another  equally  im- 
portant task  awaited  her  inspired  genius.  The  ad- 
ditional work  which  God  summoned  her  to  per- 
form she  describes  as  follows: 

When  God  called  the  author  to  proclaim  His  Gos- 
pel to  this  a§:e,  there  came  also  the  charge  to  plant 
and  water  His  vineyard  [xi]. 

Having  learned  something  about  the  way  she 
was  "called"  and  the  nature  of  the  Gospel  she 
proclaims  to  this  age,  we  are  a  little  curious  to 
visit  the  vineyard  she  planted  and  watered  to  see 
how  closely  it  resembles  "  His  Vineyard."  In  the 
discharge  of  this  second  commission,  which  is  ex- 
ecuted with  such  exceptional  ability,  she  leads  us 
out  of  the  thought-world  of  Christian  Science 
over  into  the  practical  workaday  world  where  the 
actual  planting  and  watering  of  her  vineyard  is 
carried  on.  On  our  journey  from  one  of  these 
worlds  to  the  other  we  cross  the  great  divide 

199 


SOO  THE  NONSENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

"where  non-sense  ceases  and  sense  begins.  The 
Mrs.  Eddy  at  work  planting  and  watering  her 
vineyard  shows  herself  to  possess  so  much  sound 
sense  that  we  cannot  help  suspecting  the  genuine- 
ness of  her  sincere  belief  in  many  features  of  her 
non-sense  science.  This  discovery  confirms  a  con- 
viction which  has  been  gradually  crystallizing  for 

[some  time,  that  back  of  most  of  these  non-sense 
ideas  is  intelligent  design.    And  it  warns  us  that 

I  we  must  not  be  misled  into  forming  too  hastily 
our  opinion  of  the  mental  caliber  and  intelligence 
of  Mrs.  Eddy  from  the  things  she  taught  her  fol- 
lowers to  believe.  It  is  justifiable  to  judge  them 
by  what  they  believe,  and  in  the  same  way  Mrs. 
Eddy  should  be  judged.  For  she  did  not  believe 
all  the  things  she  taught  her  followers.  She  did 
not  believe  that  she  was  miraculously  healed  from 
the  injury  of  her  fall  in  Lynn  on  the  third  day  by 
the  discovery  of  the  principle  of  mental  healing. 
She  knew  she  was  not.  Neither  did  she  believe 
her  oft  repeated  claim  that  "  No  human  pen  nor 
tongue  taught"  her  "the  Science  contained  in 
.  .  .  Science  and  Health."  She  knew  per- 
fectly well  the  exact  human  sources  from  which 
she  had  obtained  it.  As  we  shall  soon  see,  she 
did  not  implicitly  believe  in  many  of  the  extrava- 
gant things  which  she  teaches  about  medical 
science.  We  have  already  learned  that  her  de- 
nial of  the  existence  of  the  material  universe,  sin, 
sickness,   and   death,   was   not   a   result   of   her 


WHEEE  NON-SENSE  CEASES  201 

science  of  mental  healing,  or  sincere  and  consist- 
ent metaphysical  thinking,  but  of  stern,  practical 
necessity.  Most  of  these  non-sense  ideas  have 
shrewd,  intelligent  design  back  of  their  creation. 
And  be  it  said  to  the  credit  of  her  knowledge  of 
the  type  of  people  to  whom  she  expected  her 
science  to  appeal,  every  one  of  them  has  worked 
admirably.  We  regret  that  space  does  not  permit 
us  to  illustrate  this  interesting  feature  of  her 
scheme  by  a  detailed  study  of  some  of  these  im- 
portant ideas.  Perhaps  just  a  glance  at  the  most 
irrational  of  them  all— and  one  in  which  she  seems 
to  have  sincerely  believed — malicious  animal  mag- 
netism— will  serve  our  purpose.  The  creation  of 
this  thought-demon  to  prowl  around  at  liberty,  en- 
abled her  to  lay  upon  its  head  the  blame  for  all  of 
the  evil,  sin,  sickness,  and  death  disturbing  a 
world  where  none  of  these  things  are  supposed  to 
be  present.  To  be  sure  this  Frankenstein  monster 
which  she  created  to  prey  upon  her  enemies,  in  the 
end  turned  upon  her  and  like  an  avenging  fury  re- 
lentlessly pursued  her  until  her  dying  day.  This, 
however,  was  a  most  unexpected  reprisal  upon 
which  she  had  not  figured,  and  had  to  be  accepted 
as  one  of  the  unavoidable  casualties  of  her  adven- 
ture. She  realized  that  this  handy  thought-demon 
was  indispensable  to  her  science.  She  could  not 
have  established  her  mental  healing  cult  without 
malicious  animal  magnetism  as  her  scapegoat.  As 
the  utilitarian  value  of  one  after  another  of  these 


202  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

strange  ideas  dawns  upon  one  their  presence  in 
Science  and  Health  is  attributed  to  a  new  cause. 

Keeping  the  Waters  Roily.  We  now  begin  to 
understand  why  there  are  so  many  illogical,  be- 
wildering, and  contradictory  statements  in  Science 
and  Health.  Too  much  clarity  would  have  be- 
trayed its  purpose  and  given  the  whole  secret 
away.  Its  ambiguity  is  not  the  product  of  Mrs. 
I  Eddy's  disordered  mind,  and  so  accidental  and  un- 
'  intentional.  It  is  a  work  of  camouflaging  art. 
From  Mr.  Wiggings  immediate  family  we  have  re- 
ceived this  hitherto  unpublished  story  which  will 
help  to  bring  out  this  point.  After  he  had  waded 
through  the  tangled  mass  of  manuscript  which 
Mrs.  Eddy  left  with  him  to  revise  for  the  six- 
teenth edition  of  Science  and  Health,  he  said  to 
her: 

I  can  translate  your  sentences  into  good  English, 
but  not  into  good  sense,  as  there  is  no  sense  in  them. 

This  offer  suited  her  exactly,  and  she  engaged  him 
on  the  spot.  After  he  had  been  working  as  her 
literary  adviser  and  reviser,  he  discovered  that 
what  he  had  ignorantly  assumed  to  be  an  irreme- 
diable defect  in  her  book  was  in  reality  one  of  its 
distinctive  merits.  Good  English  she  wanted,  but 
"  good  sense  *'  would  not  have  served  her  purpose. 
Some  years  later  in  a  letter  to  an  old  college  chum, 
commenting  upon  this  peculiarity,  Mr.  Wiggin 
makes  this  statement: 


WHERE  NON-SENSE  CEASES  203 

As  for  clearness  *  *  *  the  truth  is,  she  does 
not  care  to  have  her  paragraphs  clear,  and  delights 
in  so  expressing  herself  that  her  words  may  have 
various  readings  and  meanings.  Really,  that  is  one 
of  the  tricks  of  the  trade.  You  know  sibyls  have 
always  been  thus  oracular,  to  "  keep  the  word  of 
promise  to  the  ear,  and  break  it  to  the  hope  "  [Mil- 
mine's  Life  of  Mrs.  Eddy,  McClure's  Magazine, 
October,  1907]. 

This  assertion  that  with  Mrs.  Eddy  ambiguity 
was  "  one  of  the  tricks  of  the  trade "  when  it 
comes  from  her  personal  literary  reviser  is  of  the 
highest  value.  But  this  information  is  not  neces- 
sary. Any  close  student  of  Science  and  Health 
and  Mrs.  Eddy  soon  makes  this  discovery.  She 
did  not  fool  Mark  Twain's  keen  literary  sense. 
He  soon  detected  her  little  trick.  In  one  place 
after  quoting  a  particularly  fine  specimen  of  this 
type  of  expression,  he  remarks:  "  Quite  Christian 
Scientifically  foggy  in  its  phrasing"  (p.  77).  He 
saw  that  "  foggy  phrasing  "  was  an  essential  part 
of  Mrs.  Eddy's  non-sense  science.  By  inventing 
her  non-sense  language  by  which  she  arbitrarily 
reads  into  perfectly  familiar  English  words  any 
meaning  which  may  suit  her  fancy,  she  reduced 
"  foggy  phrasing  "  to  a  science.  This  enabled  her 
to  write  in  riddles  which  only  those  who  have 
made  a  careful  study  of  this  confusing  language 
can  decipher.  The  river  of  water  of  truth  which 
proceedeth  out  of  the  throne  of  Christian  Science, 
its  queen  designed  to  filter  through  obscurity  so 


204 THE  NONSENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN SCIENCE 

that  its  waters  would  always  remain  roily,  and 
thus  conceal  how  shallow  it  is.  And  here  again  this 
scheme  has  worked.  The  most  common  thing  is 
to  hear  uneducated  persons  who  have  tried  to  read 
Science  and  Health  say:  "  It  is  too  deep  for  me." 
Its  teaching  is  not  deep,  it  is  the  shallowest  kind  of 
pretense.  But  when  the  waters  are  kept  roily,  it  is 
hard  to  tell  how  deep  those  waters  are.  It  is  ask- 
ing the  skeptical  reader  a  great  deal  to  believe 
there  is  so  much  duplicity  back  of  all  this  non- 
sense science.  But  after  we  have  become  better  ac- 
quainted with  the  way  Mrs.  Eddy  planted  and 
watered  her  vineyard,  this  attitude  will  adjust  it- 
self. 

The  Real  Mrs.  Eddy,  The  greatest  surprise  of 
our  study  now  awaits  the  reader.  It  is  the  real 
Mrs.  Eddy.  One  cannot  contemplate  her  career, 
the  success  which  crowned  her  efforts,  and  the 
eminence  to  which  she  climbed,  without  realizing 
that  back  of  this  unusual  achievement  there  must 
have  been  something  beside  a  disordered  mind. 
From  such  a  source  a  fanatical  religit!>«s"^ect 
might  have  been  developed.  But  no  such  compact, 
adjustable,  perfectly  functioning  material  organ- 
ization as  The  Mother  Church,  systematically 
turning  in  millions  of  dollars  to  its  Lord.  This 
phenomenal  creation  forces  us  to  disentangle  Mrs. 
Eddy  from  her  non-sense  science.  Though  she 
did  not  believe  in  many  of  the  ideas  she  teaches, 
there  are  two  propositions  in  which  she  did  believe 


WHERE  NON-SENSE  CEASES  205 

with  all  her  heart;  and  these  furnish  the  founda- 
tion for  all  of  her  superstructure.  First,  she  be- 
lieved in  Mr.  Quimby's  science  of  mental  healing: 
second,  she  believed  that  she  could  make  money  .,0^ 
out  of  it.  Both  of  these  beliefs  fall  well  within 
the  range  of  the  rational  mind.  And  the  second 
one,  at  least,  needs  no  justification.  Those  who 
worked  with  her,  friends  and  foes  alike,  are 
unanimous  in  their  testimony  that  she  was  a 
woman  of  far  more  than  ordinary  ability  along 
certain  lines.  And  not  being  hampered  with  re- 
straining conscientious  scruples  she  had  full  chance 
to  make  the  ability  she  possessed  count.  Her  edu- 
cational shortcomings,  her  pitiful  ignorance  within 
the  intellectual  realm  of  scholarship,  where  she 
persisted  in  posing  as  an  expert,  her  non-sense 
science,  all  combined  to  obscure  her  real  native 
ability.  Mr.  Quimby  is  reported  to  have  said  of 
her:  ''  She  is  a  devilish  smart  woman,  but  she  has 
no  identity  in  honesty."  In  the  letter  from  which 
we  have  already  quoted,  Mr.  Wiggin  speaks  thus 
of  her: 


As  for  the  HIgh-Priestess  of  it  .  .  .  she  is — 
well,  I  could  tell  you  but  not  write.  An  awfully  (I 
use  the  word  advisedly)  smart  woman,  acute,  shrewd, 
but  not  well  read,  nor  in  any  way  learned.  What 
she  has,  as  documents  clearly  prove,  she  got  from 
P.  P.  Quimby  of  Portland,  Maine,  whom  she  eulo- 
gized after  death  as  the  great  leader  and  her  special 
teacher. 


206  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

A  little  further  along  he  again  repeats  his  state- 
ment about  her  not  being  learned;  and  pronounc- 
ing the  works  of  the  great  thinkers  "  all  closed 
books  to  her,"  he  adds:  "But  dollars  and  cents 
she  understands  perfectly."  After  several  illus- 
trations in  point,  he  concludes:  "You  see  Mrs. 
Eddy  is  nobody's  fool." 

Has  the  reader  ever  distinguished  between  the 
advice  she  gives  to  her  healers  and  her  statements 
to  their  patients  and  prospects?  This  is  worth 
noting.  We  know  what  Mrs.  Eddy  thinks  of 
physiology  and  medical  science.  She  has  told  us 
very  plainly  that  these  are  diametrically  opposed 
to  her  science  of  mental  healing.  There  is  no 
possibility  of  mixing  together  the  two  theories  for 
"  The  one  absolutely  destroys  the  other."  At  the 
close  of  chapter  IV  on  Non-Sense  Healing,  we 
called  attention  to  a  "  strange  lapse,"  where  she 
recommends  that  surgical  cases  be  turned  over  to 
surgeons,  obstetrics  to  regular  physicians,  and  the 
hypodermic  needle  used,  if  necessary.  These  pre- 
cautions were  suggested  to  her  healers.  She  also 
provides  for  nurses  to  take  charge  of  those  who 
need  constant  attention.  These  approved  Chris- 
tian Science  nurses  have  to  qualify  by  being  either 
graduate  nurses  whose  conversion  to  Christian 
Science  did  not  take  place  until  after  their  courses 
of  training  were  completed,  or  persons  "who 
thoroughly  understand  the  practical  wisdom 
necessary  in  a  sick  room,  and  who  can  take  proper 


WHEEE  NON-SENSE  CEASES  207 

care  of  the  sick."  This  "  practical  wisdom  neces- 
sary in  a  sick  room  "  suppHes  the  natural  defects 
of  her  non-sense  science. 

But  the  most  interesting  concession  to  medical 
science  is  now  to  be  mentioned.  Christian  Science 
healers  are  granted  the  liberty  of  attending  ortho- 
dox medical  colleges  and  taking  their  regular 
medical  courses.  In  this  deftly  worded  para- 
graph this  permission  is  granted : 

When  the  discoverer  of  Christian  Science  is  con- 
sulted by  her  followers  as  to  the  propriety,  advantage, 
and  consistency  of  systematic  medical  study,  she 
tries  to  show  them  that  under  ordinary  circumstances 
a  resort  to  corporeal  means  tends  to  deter  those,  who 
make  such  a  compromise,  from  entire  confidence  in 
omnipotent  Mind  as  really  possessing  all  power. 
While  a  course  of  medical  study  is  at  times  severely 
condemned  by  some  Scientists,  she  feels,  as  she  al- 
ways has  felt,  that  all  are  privileged  to  work  out 
their  own  salvation  according  to  their  light,  and  that 
our  motto  should  be  the  Master's  counsel,  "Judge 
not,  that  ye  be  not  judged  "  [p.  443]. 

Imagine  the  person  who  has  so  outrageously 
vilified  medical  science  as  the  fruit  of  the  "tree 
of  knowledge ''  of  which  we  are  forbidden  to  eat 
upon  pain  of  death,  complacently  granting  her 
prospective  healers  the  privilege  of  studying  it! 
The  truth  is,  any  genuine  medical  knowledge  that 
can  be  surreptitiously  smuggled  in  by  healers  will 
come  in  handy.     And  do  not  be  deceived,  every 


208  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

successful  healer  has  plucked  all  of  this  "  forbid- 
den fruit "  from  the  tree  of  knowledge  of  medical 
science  within  his  or  her  reach.  And  they  use  all 
they  have.  But  we  are  not  interested  in  healers. 
We  are  studying  Mrs.  Eddy.  She  never  took  any 
chances.  When  she  wanted  a  doctor  she  made  no 
bones  about  calling  one.  Generally  she  was 
shrewd  enough  to  have  an  ex-physician  or  two 
among  her  working  force.  They  came  in  handy. 
When  she  finally  adopted  a  son  to  be  with  her 
in  her  home,  by  a  curious  coincidence  he  happened 
to  be  a  full-fledged  physician.  As  Mr.  Wiggin 
remarked:  "  You  see,  Mrs.  Eddy  is  nobody's  fool." 

Having  somewhat  prepared  the  mind  of  the 
reader  for  the  surprise  which  is  to  be  experienced 
when  one  crosses  over  from  the  non-sense  world 
of  Christian  Science  to  the  practical  world  where 
non-sense  ceases  and  sense  assumes  control,  let  us 
enter  her  vineyard. 

The  Second  Divinely  Inspired  Book  of  Chris- 
tian Science.  This  change  in  worlds  removes  us 
from  the  jurisdiction  of  Science  and  Health,  and 
conducts  us  into  the  territory  where  the  second 
official  book  of  Christian  Science — The  Mother 
Church  Manual — ^holds  sway.  This  book  differs 
radically  from  its  companion  volume,  save  in  one 
respect,  it  also  is  divinely  inspired.  Though  a 
product  of  a  very  different  kind  of  inspiration,  it 
proves  to  be  just  as  effective.  Of  it  Mrs.  Eddy 
says: 


WHERE  NON-SENSE  CEASES  209 

The  Rules  and  By-Laws  in  the  Manual  *  *  * 
originated  not  in  solemn  conclave  as  in  ancient  San- 
hedrim. They  were  not  arbitrary  opinions  nor  dic- 
tatorial demands,  such  as  one  person  might  impose 
on  another.  They  were  impelled  by  a  power  not 
one's  own  [Title  Page]. 

Mrs.  Eddy  was  the  person  "  impelled  by  a 
power  not  one's  own"  to  write  these  by-laws. 
The  certainty  of  her  authorship  of  this  book  is 
assured.  Even  Mark  Twain  who  insists  she  did 
not  write  Science  and  Health,  says  that  every  by- 
law and  sentence  bears  the  indisputable  mark  of 
her  personality,  mind,  and  pen.  This  second  di- 
vinely inspired  book  of  Christian  Science  reveals 
to  us  the  real  working  mind  of  Mrs.  Eddy.  Here 
we  find  it  undisguised.  While  it  is  quite  possible 
to  imagine  that  a  disordered  mind  wrote  Science 
and  Health,  no  one  who  knows  The  Mother 
Church  Manual  would  think  of  pronouncing  it 
the  product  of  a  disordered  mind.  The  mind  of 
its  author  was  functioning  superbly  at  its  task. 

Following  out  Mrs.  Eddy's  analogy  of  the 
vineyard,  we  identify  The  Mother  Church  Manual 
as  the  hedge  about  the  vineyard.  The  Mother 
Church  as  the  winepress  built  in  it,  and  her  home 
at  Pleasant  View  as  its  tower.  Unlike  the  house- 
holder in  the  parable,  after  she  had  planted  her 
vineyard,  put  a  hedge  about  it,  built  a  winepress 
and  tower  in  it,  she  did  not  let  it  out  to  hus- 
bandmen, and  go  into  a  far  country.     Quite  the 


210  THE  NON-SENSE  OP  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

contrary,  she  took  up  her  abode  in  the  tower,  and 
kept  a  watchful  eye  upon  everything  that  tran- 
spired in  her  vineyard. 

The  Winepress — The  Mother  Church.  Let  us 
examine  this  novel  winepress  and  see  if  it  is  pos- 
sible to  discover  why  it  is  so  unusual  in  its  con- 
struction, and  why  the  wine  which  it  presses  out  is 
of  such  a  golden  glow.  Mrs.  Eddy  established 
her  first  Christian  Science  church  principally  for 
religious  and  humanitarian  purposes.  Its  charter 
was  like  those  granted  to  similar  religious  organ- 
izations, and  gave  its  members  full  control  in  the 
management  of  its  affairs.  After  Mrs.  Patterson 
the  mental  healing  fanatic  developed  into  Mrs. 
Eddy  the  financier,  she  soon  realized  that  such  an 
organization  was  ill-adapted  to  her  purpose.  She 
had  arrived  at  the  stage  where  her  primary  inter- 
est in  this  science  had  shifted  to  a  pecuniary  one. 
She  wanted  to  make  money  out  of  her  cult;  and 
her  church  instead  of  furthering  her  designs  was 
continually  hindering  them.  Her  converts  were 
forever  taking  it  too  seriously  as  a  simon-pure  re- 
ligious and  humanitarian  institution.  It  was  in- 
evitable that  friction  should  develop  from  the  rub 
of  these  two  diametrically  opposed  sets  of  inter- 
est By  1881  the  first  open  rupture  made  Its  ap- 
pearance. A  number  of  her  most  conscientious 
early  followers  had  become  thoroughly  disillu- 
sioned. The  resolution  which  they  drew  up  and 
.signed  as  their  resignation  speaks  for  itself: 


WHERE  NON-SENSE  CEASES  211 

We,  the  undersigned,  while  we  acknowledge  and 
appreciate  the  understanding  of  Truth  imparted  to 
us  by  our  Teacher,  Mrs.  Mary  B.  G.  Eddy,  led  by 
Divine  Intelligence  to  perceive  with  sorrow  that  de- 
parture from  the  straight  and  narrow  road  (which 
alone  leads  to  growth  of  Christ-like  virtues)  made 
manifest  by  frequent  ebullitions  of  temper,  love  of 
money,  and  the  appearance  of  hypocrisy  cannot 
longer  submit  to  such  leadership;  therefore,  without 
aught  of  hatred,  revenge  or  petty  spite  in  our  hearts, 
from  a  sense  of  duty  alone,  to  her,  the  Cause,  and 
ourselves,  do  most  respectfully  withdraw  our  names 
from  the  Christian  Science  Association  and  Church 
of  Christ  (Scientist).  [Quoted  from  Milmine,  ibid., 
August,  1907,] 

The  significant  thing  about  this  resolution  is 
that  the  three  sins  of  which  her  early  followers 
found  her  guilty,  are  the  very  ones  which  her 
whole  career  emphasizes.  Though  some  time 
later  she  did  succeed  in  getting  her  remaining 
followers  to  issue  a  reassuring  statement  exoner- 
ating her  from  all  these  charges,  and  condemning 
as  traitors  to  the  cause  those  who  withdrew,  the 
names  of  the  eight  persons  who  signed  this  reso- 
lution carried  too  much  weight  in  Lynn  to  be  dis- 
credited. Others  soon  followed  their  example, 
and  it  was  not  long  before  her  forces  in  Lynn  be- 
came so  depleted  and  demoralized  that  she  was 
compelled  to  evacuate  the  city  and  retreat  to  Bos- 
ton where  she  was  not  so  well  known,  and  where 
personal  contacts  were  not  so  close. 

But  moving  did  not  remove  the  cause  of  the 


212  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

trouble.  After  about  seven  years  of  activity  in 
Boston  a  similar  revolt  again  broke  out  in  her 
church.  In  a  stormy  session  of  her  organization 
over  thirty  of  her  most  prominent  members  in- 
cluding some  of  her  officers,  giving  essentially  the 
same  three  reasons,  resigned.  This  second  split 
came  very  near  wrecking  her  Boston  church. 
These  disastrous  revolts  made  two  things  plain: 
First,  she  began  to  realize  that  with  her  disposi- 
tion, temper,  and  love  of  money,  she  could  not 
associate  too  intimately  with  her  followers  with- 
out sooner  or  later  becoming  pretty  well  known  to 
them.  Second,  she  realized  that  a  democratic 
church  organization  was  not  at  all  suited  to  her 
purposes.  Its  members  from  conscientious  prin- 
ciples were  continually  calling  her  to  account,  and 
blocking  her  plans.  They  might  under  severe 
provocation  decide  that  the  best  way  to  save  the 
cause  would  be  to  depose  her  as  pastor,  or  even 
excommunicate  her  from  her  own  church.  After 
this  second  revolt,  Mrs.  Eddy  began  to  lay  plans 
for  making  future  repetition  of  these  humiliating 
and  annoying  experiences  impossible.  She  pur- 
chased a  home  in  Concord,  New  Hampshire, 
called  Pleasant  View,  and  to  this  she  withdrew, 
thus  separating  herself  forever  from  plebeian  as- 
sociation with  the  many.  From  this  time  on,  only 
the  trusted  and  chosen  few  were  to  know  inti- 
mately their  Lord's  weaknesses  and  frailties. 
This  was  one  of  the  most  strategic  moves  Mrs. 


WHEEE  NOK-SENSE  CEASES  213 

Eddy  ever  made.  It  marks  a  turning  point  in  the 
progress  of  her  Boston  church.  After  she  had 
walled  herself  in  from  personal  contacts,  mystery, 
imagination,  and  messages  did  the  rest. 

The  second  momentous  change  which  grew  out 
of  these  revolts  was  the  reorganization  of  her 
church.  We  have  called  attention  to  her  growing 
dissatisfaction  with  her  democratic  church  or- 
ganization. Her  business  interests  and  the  re- 
ligious principles  of  her  members  were  forever 
getting  entangled.  Mrs.  Eddy  read  the  handwrit- 
ing on  the  wall.  She  knew  that  in  time  either  she 
or  her  church  would  have  to  go.  And  she  lost  no 
time  in  deciding  which  should  be  sacrificed.  Be- 
coming deeply  imbued  with  the  conviction  that  all 
material  organizations,  even  churches,  were  unfit 
to  represent  her  purely  spiritual  system  of  truth, 
she  decrees  her  material  church  instantly  to  dis- 
band. Thus  officers,  members,  power  to  hold 
moneys,  all  are  wiped  out  of  existence,  and  its 
charter  abandoned.  After  having  effectually  an- 
nihilated this  old  democratic  organization,  her 
solicitude  for  a  purely  spiritual  church  and  her  op- 
position to  a  material  one  seem  to  have  waned. 
For  in  a  short  time  a  new  material  church  is  or- 
ganized. This  new  organization  is  the  now 
famous  "  Mother  Church."  It  contrasts  strik- 
ingly in  every  essential  feature  with  the  organiza- 
tion which  it  has  displaced.  Everything  down  to 
the  smallest  detail  is  under  the  personal  control 


214  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

of  Mrs.  Eddy.  The  members  of  the  church  have 
not  the  sHghtest  voice  in  the  conduct  of  its  affairs, 
except  when  Mrs.  Eddy  temporarily  delegates  it 
to  them.  All  the  disaffected  members  of  the  old 
church  are  dropped,  and  only  those  whom  she  per- 
sonally approves  can  get  back  into  this  new 
church.  Every  member  is  elected  by  the  Board 
of  Directors  with  her  approval.  This  new  organ- 
ization ended  forever  the  repetition  of  such  hu- 
miliating experiences  as  those  to  which  she  was 
subjected  in  1881,  and  1888.  She  was  no  longer 
subject  to  the  authority  of  the  members  of  her 
church.  They  were  subject  to  her  authority. 
Her  winepress  is  now  ready  to  do  business. 

The  Tower  and  the  Pastor  Emeritus.  By  a 
strange  contradiction  in  terms,  the  Pastor  Emeri- 
tus becomes  the  supreme  head  of  this  new  church. 
Upon  her  retirement  to  Pleasant  View,  Mrs.  Eddy 
not  only  resigned  as  pastor  of  the  Boston  church, 
but  she  took  the  additional  precaution  to  see  that 
none  of  her  dangerous  women  rivals  got  a  chance 
to  step  in  and  take  her  place.  She  abolished  the 
office  of  a  personal,  local  pastor  in  all  Christian 
Science  churches,  and  ordained  the  Bible  and 
Science  and  Health  as  the  pastor  of  every  church. 
This  decree  came  as  a  terrible  blow  to  many  of 
her  prominent  women  pastors,  but  her  word 
was  law,  and  quietly  they  all  stepped  down  and 
out. 

Mrs.    Eddy   had    herself    appointed    as    pastor 


WHEEE  NON-SENSE  CEASES  215 

emeritus.  In  common  usage  pastor  emeritus  is  an 
honorary  title  conferred  upon  a  pastor  who  by 
reason  of  age  or  infirmity  is  no  longer  able  to 
carry  on  the  work  of  the  active  ministry.  But  the 
pastor  emeritus  of  The  Mother  Church  was  no 
honorary  personage.  She  was  relinquishing  none 
of  her  prerogatives,  active  interest,  and  control. 
She  simply  retired  from  the  pastorate  of  one 
church  to  become  bishop  and  pastor  of  all. 
Seated  upon  her  throne  in  her  tower,  she  was  a 
real  episcopus.  No  bishop  ever  exercised  such 
oversight,  control,  and  authority  as  did  she. 

The  distinctive  contribution  which  Mark  Twain 
makes  to  the  understanding  of  Christian  Science 
is  contained  in  his  keen  analysis  of  the  autocratic 
nature  of  the  government  of  the  Christian  Science 
church.  This  form  of  government  is  built  up  and 
hedged  about  by  the  by-laws  contained  in  The 
Mother  Church  Manual.  A  detailed  study  of  this 
book  will  reveal  that  every  by-law  is  drawn  up 
with  consummate  skill,  and  contributes  some  indis- 
pensable part  to  its  business  machinery.  Boards 
and  officers  abound,  but  while  Mrs.  Eddy  was 
alive  they  were  the  machinery  through  which  she 
worked  her  will.  All  were  subject  to  her  com- 
plete domination.  Mark  Twain  jotted  down  the 
many  powers  which,  through  The  Mother  Church 
Manual,  she  lodged  in  her  own  hands.  In  enu- 
merating them,  he  says: 

We  may  now  make  a  final  footing-up  of  Mrs. 


216  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

Eddy,  and  see  what  she  is,  in  the  fukiess  of  her 
powers.     She  is, 

The  Massachusetts  Metaphysical  College; 

Pastor  Emeritus; 

President ; 

Board  of  Directors; 

Board  of  Education ; 

Board  of  Lectureships; 

Future  Board  of  Trustees ; 

Proprietor  of  the  Publishing-House  and  Peri- 
odicals ; 

Treasurer ; 

Clerk; 

Proprietor  of  the  Teachers ; 

Proprietor  of  the  Lecturers ; 

Proprietor  of  the  Missionaries; 

Proprietor  of  the  Readers ; 

Dictator  of  the  Services;  sole  Voice  of  the  Pulpit; 

Proprietor  of  the  Sanhedrin ; 

Sole  Proprietor  of  the  Creed.     (Copyrighted.) 

Indisputable  Autocrat  of  the  Branch  Churches, 
with  their  life  and  death  in  her  hands ; 

Sole  Thinker  for  The  First  Church  (and  the 
others)  ; 

Sole  and  infallible  Expounder  of  Doctrine,  in  life 
and  in  death ; 

Sole  permissible  Discoverer,  Denouncer,  Judge, 
and  Executioner  of  Ostensible  Hypnotists ; 

Fifty-handed  God  of  Excommunication — with  a 
thunderbolt  in  every  hand; 

Appointer  and  Installer  of  the  Pastor  of  all  the 
Churches — The  Perpetual  Pastor-Universal,  Science 
and  Health,  "the  Comforter." 

There  she  stands — painted  by  herself.  No  witness 
but  herself  has  been  allowed  to  testify.     She  stands 


WHERE  NON-SENSE  CEASES  217 

there  painted  by  her  acts  and  decorated  by  her  words 
[Christian  Science,  p.  2^gi.]. 

The  prophetic  little  verse  which  is  printed  upon 
the  title  page  of  every  edition  of  Science  and 
Health  until  this  dream  was  realized,  is  now  un- 
derstood.   It  reads: 

I,  I,  I,  I  itself,  I, 

The  inside  the  outside,  the  what  and  the  why, 
The  when  and  the  where,  the  low  and  the  high, 
All  is  I,  I,  I,  I  itself,  I. 

Of  her  newly  perfected  Mother  Church  she 
could  truthfully  say:  All  is  I,  I,  I,  I  itself,  I. 

Obedience  to  Mrs.  Eddy  Required.  Most 
Christian  Churches  make  obedience  to  God  and 
Jesus  Christ  a  fundamental  requirement.  The 
Mother  Church  Manual  makes  obedience  to  Mrs. 
Eddy  the  fundamental  requirement.  Seven  pages 
are  devoted  to  this  Important  subject  under  the 
title:  "  Relation  and  Duties  of  Members  to  Pastor 
Emeritus.*'  In  our  study  of  Non-Sense  Chris- 
tianity we  learned  that  theoretically  Mrs.  Eddy  is 
the  Lord  of  the  Christian  Science  religion.  After 
one  has  studied  In  Its  concrete  details  the  relation 
and  duties  which  members  of  this  church  owe  her, 
her  actual  Lordship  no  longer  remains  in  doubt. 
We  have  no  time  to  go  Into  these  points,  they  can 
be  easily  read,  but  the  principle  underlying  them 
is  given  In  these  words:  "Obedience  Required." 
There  In  a  nutshell,  you  have  the  secret  of  the 
way  Mrs.  Eddy  built  up  her  religious  cult.     This 


218  THE  NONSENSE  OP  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

obedience  was  required  from  every  one  from  the 
highest  official  to  the  lowest  member.  Her  ulti- 
matum to  her  officials  is  given  in  this  by-law: 

It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  officers  of  this  Church, 
of  the  editors  of  the  Christian  Science  Journal,  Sen- 
tinel,  and  Der  Herold,  of  the  members  of  the  Com- 
mittees on  PubUcation,  of  the  Trustees  of  The  Chris- 
tian Science  Publication  Society,  and  of  the  Board 
of  Education  promptly  to  comply  with  any  written 
order,  signed  by  Mary  Baker  Eddy,  which  applies  to 
their  official  functions.  Disobedience  to  this  By- 
Law  shall  be  sufficient  cause  for  the  removal  of  the 
offending  member  from  office  [p.  65].* 

At  the  time  this  by-law  was  written  it  included 
every  official  in  the  organization.  And  of  all  she 
required  obedience.  Disobedience  was  sufficient 
cause  for  removal  from  office.  And  Mrs.  Eddy 
was  a  wonderful  disciplinarian.  Neither  fear  nor 
favour  influenced  her  decrees.  She  meted  out  the 
reward  of  disobedience  so  many  times  that  every 
one  knew  what  to  expect. 

Obedience  was  the  corner-stone  upon  which  she 
erected  her  Christian  Science  edifice,  and  serving 
her  she  made  its  keystone.  We  have  time  to  give 
but  two  typical  examples  of  the  way  she  let  it  be 
known  that  service  rendered  to  her  was  a  high 
religious  duty.  Under  a  tactfully  worded  by-law 
entitled :  "  Opportunity  for  Serving  the  Leader  " 
she  introduces  this  feature.     It  reads: 

*A11  references  to  by-laws  are  to  The  Mother  Church 
Manual. 


WHEEE  NON-SENSE  CEASES  219 

At  the  written  request  of  the  Pastor  Emeritus, 
Mrs.  Eddy,  the  Board  of  Directors  shall  immediately 
notify  a  person  who  has  been  a  member  of  this 
Church  at  least  three  years  to  go  in  ten  days  to  her, 
and  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  member  thus  notified 
to  remain  with  Mrs.  Eddy  three  years  consecutively. 
A  member  who  leaves  her  in  less  time  without  the 
Directors'  consent  or  who  declines  to  obey  this  call 
to  duty,  upon  Mrs.  Eddy's  complaint  thereof  shall  be 
excommunicated  from  The  Mother  Church,  Mem- 
bers thus  serving  the  Leader  shall  be  paid  semi- 
annually at  the  rate  of  one  thousand  dollars  yearly 
in  addition  to  rent  and  board  [p.  6yi.], 

In  this  way  she  arrives  at  a  happy  solution  of 
the  employment  problem.  It  works  so  well  in  her 
business  that  she  also  adopts  it  for  her  domestic 
needs.    Here  is  the  by-law  which  covers  these: 

If  the  author  of  the  Christian  Science  text-book 
call  on  this  Board  for  household  help  or  a  handmaid, 
the  Board  shall  immediately  appoint  a  proper  mem- 
ber of  this  Church  therefor,  and  the  appointee  shall 
go  immediately  in  obedience  to  the  call.  "  He  that 
loveth  father  or  mother  more  than  me  is  not  worthy 
of  me"  (Matt.  10:37)  [p.  69]. 

Without  the  slightest  hesitation  or  compunction 
Mrs.  Eddy  invaded  the  personal  rights  of  her  fol- 
lowers; she  assumed  a  primary  proprietary  right 
in  their  life  and  service,  and  her  claim  upon  their 
time  and  talents  was  paramount.  She  goes  so 
far  as  to  quote  the  words  of  the  Lord  Jesus  to  His 
disciples  as  exactly  typifying  the  correct  relation 
which  should  exist  between  her  followers  and  her- 


220  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

self.  If  this  does  not  express  in  tangible  and  con- 
crete form  her  actual  Lordship  over  her  followers, 
it  cannot  be  done. 

The  interesting  feature  of  this  Lordship  in 
operation  is  that  back  of  all  her  high-sounding 
appeals  to  religious  duty  she  menacingly  held  the 
big  stick  of  force.  Fear  of  removal  from  office 
and  excommunication  from  The  Mother  Church 
were  two  weapons  of  force  which  she  forged  and 
relentlessly  used.  Friends  and  foes  alike  felt  their 
blows.  From  Mr.  Spofford  to  Mrs.  Augusta  E. 
Stetson  she  demonstrated  that  no  friendship, 
however  close,  could  presume  upon  her  leniency. 
The  record  of  her  arbitrary  removals  from  office 
and  excommunications  makes  interesting  reading. 
By  her  impartial  use  of  her  instruments  of  force 
she  inspired  a  holy  terror  in  her  followers  and 
officials.  Mark  Twain  graphically  describes  her 
as  "  a  Fifty-handed  God  of  Excommunication — 
with  a  thunderbolt  in  every  hand."  This  is  not 
the  picture  most  people  have  formed  of  the  founder 
of  the  church  of  "Universal  Love,"  but  it  correctly 
portrays  Mrs.  Eddy  in  action  as  the  Pastor  Emeri- 
tus of  The  Mother  Church,  In  this  way  she  built 
up  the  most  remarkable  religious  autocracy  that 
has  ever  been  established.  Ex-Emperor  William  II 
tried  to  copy  the  idea  when  he  trained  up  a  gene- 
ration of  Germans  to  believe  that  he  was  their 
"  Gott."  Mrs.  Eddy  succeeded  in  her  scheme  be- 
cause she  was  wise  enough  to  know  that  only  a 


WHEEE  NON-SENSE  CEASES  221 

certain  class  of  people  will  stand  for  that  sort  of 
thing ;  and  she  was  content  to  confine  her  domina- 
tion to  them. 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  original  motives 
which  inspired  Mrs.  Eddy,  in  1879,  to  organize 
her  first  Christian  Science  Church,  there  is  no 
doubt  as  to  what  led  her  to  disband  it  and  estab- 
lish in  its  place  the  unique  autocratic  religious  or- 
ganization known  as  The  Mother  Church.  Re- 
ligious and  humanitarian  objects  would  have  been 
much  better  conserved  by  her  original  organiza- 
tion; this  she  discarded.  The  Mother  Church 
gave  her  a  wonderful  organization  through  which 
to  carry  on  her  business  of  dispensing  mental 
healing,  and  made  all  of  its  members  her  paid  and 
unpaid  employees.  The  unembellished  history  of 
her  management  of  it,  and  the  millions  which  she 
made  through  it,  tell  most  eloquently  the  effi- 
ciency of  the  organization  and  the  genius  of  its 
manager. 

Had  she,  like  some  sincere  religious  fanatics, 
laboured  under  any  delusions  concerning  her  di- 
vine inspiration,  her  sacrilegious  act  of  laying  un- 
holy hands  upon  the  Christian  Church  and  ap- 
propriating it  for  her  personal  aggrandizement 
might  have  been  pardoned.  But  no  such  extenu- 
ating circumstances  mitigate  her  sin.  She  was 
not  a  religious  fanatic;  religion  as  such  had  never 
profoundly  interested  her.  It  was  her  lack  of 
genuine  religious  emotional  interest  which  drove 


222  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

her  to  curious  cults.  By  the  time  she  organized 
The  Mother  Church  she  was  working  out  a  de- 
liberate, cold-blooded,  mercenary  scheme.  What- 
ever the  pastor  of  the  first  Christian  Science 
church  may  have  been,  the  Pastor  Emeritus  of 
The  Mother  Church  was  a  shrewd,  keen,  none  too 
scrupulous,  business  woman. 

Standardizing  Her  Product  and  Perfecting  Her 
Model.  Because  Science  and  Health  was  a  com- 
pilation, and  not  the  product  of  a  mind  under  the 
creative  spell  of  a  new  discovery,  it  was  beyond 
Mrs.  Eddy's  power  to  breathe  into  its  pages  the 
breath  of  literary  soul-life.  After  the  failure  of 
the  first  edition,  she  set  to  work  to  remedy  its  most 
glaring  defects.  But  the  harder  she  worked  upon 
it  the  worse  it  became.  It  is  a  patent  fact 
that  every  edition  from  the  second  to  the 
fifteenth  is  decidedly  inferior  to  the  first.  It 
seems  almost  a  literary  impossibility  for  the  per- 
son who  wrote  the  first  edition  to  drop  down  in 
the  scale  of  composition  and  expression  to  the  low 
level  found  in  these  succeeding  volumes.  This  is 
a  most  unusual  feature  in  the  evolution  of  edi- 
tions. We  will  illustrate  it  by  one  comparison. 
We  will  compare  the  first  and  the  third  editions. 
In  Vol.  I,  p.  230,  of  the  third  edition,  we  read: 

A  patient  thoroughly  booked  in  the  jargon  of  the 
schools  is  more  difficult  to  heal  through  Mind  than  an 
aboriginal  North  American  Indian  who  has  never 
bowed  the  knee  to  Baal. 


WHERE  NON-SENSE  CEASES  223 

In  the  first  edition  this  passage  is  thus  refined: 

A  patient  thoroughly  booked  in  physiology,  ma- 
teria medica,  etc.,  is  more  difficult  to  heal  with  science 
than  one  having  never  bowed  the  knee  so  methodic- 
ally to  matter  [p.  426]. 

This  paralleling  of  passages  can  be  carried 
through  these  two  books  from  beginning  to  end, 
and  in  every  instance  the  grammar,  expression, 
refinement,  and  moderation  of  the  first  edition  is 
strikingly  superior  to  the  second,  third,  and  fol- 
lowing editions  down  to  the  sixteenth.  We 
asked  Mr.  Spofford  how  he  explained  this  freak 
phenomenon  in  the  evolution  of  the  editions  of 
Science  and  Health,  and  he  replied: 

Have  you  noticed  that?  You  see  in  the  first  edi- 
tion she  stuck  close  to  Quimby,  but  when  she  broke 
away  from  him  and  tried  to  go  it  alone  she  spoiled  it. 

It  is  very  easy  for  those  familiar  with  the 
Quimby  manuscripts  to  accept  this  explanation. 
For  in  spite  of  the  reflections  cast  upon  them  by 
Mrs.  Eddy  and  her  authorized  biographer,  Sibyl 
Wilbur,  the  Quimby  manuscripts  are  well  written, 
and  Immeasurably  superior  to  any  of  Mrs.  Eddy's 
productions  of  that  period.  As  we  were  reading 
them  over  with  Mr.  Spoflford,  every  little  while  he 
would  stop  and  exclaim:.  "Pretty  well  put  for 
such  an  ignorant  man,  don't  you  think  ? "  We 
suspect  that  Mrs.  Eddy  thought  that  she  might 
popularize  Science  and  Health  if  she  could  change 


224  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

its  style  into  that  of  her  extemporaneous  dis- 
course. For  Mrs.  Eddy  was  a  vivacious  lecturer, 
and  had  no  difficulty  in  interesting  her  students 
when  she  talked  upon  this  subject.  It  was  writ- 
ing that  was  difficult.  So  in  1877  she  hired  Mrs. 
Sarah  Crosby  to  take  down  her  series  of  lectures 
verbatim.  From  these  notes  she  seems  to  have 
recast  the  editions  in  question.  And  while  some 
of  her  students  liked  these  better,  because  they 
said:  "They  sound  more  like  Mrs.  Eddy,"  yet 
the  deterioration  was  so  marked  that  by  1884  she 
abandoned  this  scheme,  went  back  to  the  first  edi- 
tion for  a  foundation,  and  worked  out  a  new  man- 
uscript. After  she  had  done  her  best  with  this, 
she  took  it  to  Mr.  James  Henry  Wiggin,  and  hired 
him  to  fix  it  up  for  publication.  This  is  why  the 
sixteenth  edition  is  more  like  the  first,  and  is  also 
a  decided  improvement  upon  that. 

Science  and  Health  as  it  appears  to-day  has 
passed  through  the  hands  of  so  many  revisers  that 
many  students,  familiar  with  Mrs.  Eddy's  natural 
literary  style,  insist  that  she  did  not  write  it.  This 
accusation  strikes  at  the  heart  of  its  divine  inspira- 
tion, and  for  this  reason  Christian  Scientists  bit- 
terly resent  It.  Sibyl  Wilbur  speaks  of  Mark 
Twain's  assertion  that  Mrs.  Eddy  did  not  write 
Science  and  Health,  as  "  supreme  audacity  and 
unscrupulous  wickedness."  Then  she  comes  to 
the  defense  of  Mrs.  Eddy's  authorship  in  this  he- 
roic manner: 


WHEEE  NON-SENSE  CEASES  225 

The  real  author  of  every  word  of  the  first  edition, 
and  every  v^ord,  phrase,  paragraph,  and  chapter  of 
the  very  last  edition  is  the  one  who  wrote  the  limp- 
ing verses  of  girlhood,  the  so-called  "  Quimby " 
manuscripts  with  their  confusion  of  ideas,  the  state- 
ment of  the  Science  of  Man,  Genesis,  and  Apoca- 
lypse, and  finally  "  Science  and  Health"  [p.  218]. 

We  do  not  question  that  Mrs.  Eddy  compiled 
Science  and  Health,  but  we  think  it  would  be  a 
very  easy  matter  to  prove  that  Mrs.  Eddy's  au- 
thorized biographer  is  unpardonably  ignorant 
upon  the  material  contained  in  the  various  edi- 
tions of  Science  and  Health.  "  Every  word, 
phrase,  paragraph,  and  chapter "  is  a  sv^eeping 
claim.  If  space  permitted  we  would  like  to  sepa- 
rate what  strike  us  as  the  "  I  "  and  "  the  author  '* 
passages  from  each  other.  But  we  will  content 
ourselves  with  the  story  of  the  chapter  entitled, 
Wayside  Hints. 

After  the  sixteenth  edition  was  already  cast 
into  plates,  Mrs.  Eddy^s  advisers  became  so  appre- 
hensive over  the  libelous  character  of  her  chapter 
on  Demonology,  that  they  persuaded  her  to  cut  it 
out.  This  removal  left  a  number  of  blank  pages 
to  be  filled  in  before  the  book  could  be  issued. 
About  this  time  Mr.  Wiggin  wrote  for  Mrs.  Eddy 
a  sermon  on  The  City  that  Lieth  Four-square, 
which  she  preached  as  her  own  before  her  Boston 
congregation-  Mr.  Wiggin  enjoyed  telling  of  the 
exquisite  humour  of  the  situation  as  he  sat  in  that 


226  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

church  audience  and  heard  Mrs.  Eddy  preach  his 
sermon.  He  tells  how  when  the  service  was  ended 
he  made  his  way  up  to  the  platform  where  the 
faithful  were  crowding  about  her  congratulating 
her  on  her  inspired  utterance.  When  she  saw  him 
she  edged  over  to  where  he  was  standing  and  with 
a  twinkle  in  her  eyes  asked  in  a  stage  whisper: 
"How  did  it  go?"  Mrs.  Eddy's  sense  of  hu- 
mour was  not  as  lacking  as  some  imagine.  This 
sermon  came  in  the  nick  of  time.  Cut  down  to 
the  proper  length  it  would  fill  in  those  blank  pages, 
and  the  book  could  be  published!  So  at  Mrs. 
Eddy's  request,  Mr.  Wiggin  cut  down  this  sermon 
and  under  the  title,  Wayside  Hints,  inserted  it 
into  the  sacred  volume.  To  allay  suspicion  of  its 
source  in  the  minds  of  any  who  might  detect  its 
marked  difference  in  style,  Mrs.  Eddy  injected 
into  its  midst  three  irrelevant  paragraphs,  plainly 
written  by  herself,  on  her  late  husband  and  Mr. 
Quimby.  But  these  are  so  apparently  out  of 
place,  and  so  different  in  style,  that  they  can  easily 
be  separated  from  their  context,  which  is  a  con- 
nected symbolic  working  out  of  the  idea  that 
Christian  Science  is  the  Holy  City  which  came 
down  from  God  out  of  heaven.  Mr.  Wiggin  was 
at  his  best  in  developing  his  theme.  A  single  para- 
graph will  give  some  idea  of  the  flowery  way  in 
which  he  treated  it.     He  writes: 

The  City  of  Christian  Science  is  indeed  a  city  of 
the  spirit,  fair,  royal,  and  square.     Northward,  its 


WHEEE  NON-SENSE  CEASES  227 

gates  open  to  the  North  Star  of  the  Bible,  the  Polar 
magnet  of  revelation;  eastward,  to  the  star  seen  by 
the  Wise  Men  of  the  Orient,  who  followed  it  to  the 
manger  of  Jesus;  southward,  to  the  genial  tropics, 
with  the  Southern  Cross  in  the  skies, — the  Cross  of 
Calvar}^,  which  binds  human  society  into  solemn 
union;  westward,  to  the  grand  realization  of  the 
Golden  Shore  of  Love  and  the  Peaceful  Sea  of  Har- 
mony [20th  ed.,  p.  232]. 

It  is  easy  to  understand  why  this  literary  gem 
on  Christian  Science  should  be  enthusiastically  re- 
ceived. The  extravagant  ecstasies  into  which  the 
faithful  went  over  this  production  were  too  much 
for  Mr.  Wiggin's  abounding  sense  of  humour. 
So  one  day  he  confided  his  secret  to  a  few  inti- 
mate friends.  This  was  too  good  a  story  on  Mrs. 
Eddy's  way  of  doing  things  to  be  kept,  and  soon 
it  became  public  property.  The  knowledge  that 
there  was  a  whole  chapter  in  the  heart  of  that  in- 
spired volume,  written  by  Mr.  Wiggin,  wrought 
such  havoc  with  its  infallibility  that  after  a  few 
editions  this  precious  literary  gem  had  to  be  dis- 
carded. The  mere  fact  that  under  attack  this 
chapter  was  dropped,  is  clear  proof  of  the  truth  of 
its  origin. 

There  is  not  the  slightest  doubt  about  the  trust- 
worthiness of  this  incident.  While  living  Mr. 
Wiggin  confirmed  it  many  times  to  friends  who 
are  still  living  and  vouch  for  it.  To  bring  it  down 
to  date  we  communicated  with  his  immediate  fam- 
ily about  it  and  received  this  reply:  "  Mr.  Wiggin 


228  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

did  write  the  chapter  on  Wayside  Hints,  but  it 
was  expurgated  after  one  or  two  editions."  This 
may  seem  Hke  ancient  history,  but  it  has  an  impor- 
tant bearing  upon  the  statement  made  by  Sibyl 
Wilbur.  Any  one  knowing  Mrs.  Eddy  well  could 
safely  hazard  the  guess  that  she  would  never 
throw  away  such  a  precious  literary  gem  on  Chris- 
tian Science  as  Mr.  Wiggin  had  worked  out.  So 
if  the  reader  will  search  hard  enough,  all  that  is 
worth  while  in  this  once  expurgated  chapter 
will  be  found  safely  ensconced,  under  a  new 
name,  in  a  new  setting,  in  the  chapter  on  the 
Apocalypse.  To  be  sure  that  no  mistake 
has  been  made,  turn  to  page  575,  1918  edi- 
tion, and  there  the  very  paragraph  which  we 
quoted  from  the  original  chapter  will  be  found 
word  for  word.  To  Mr.  Wiggin,  therefore,  and 
not  to  Mrs.  Eddy,  Christian  Scientists  are  in- 
debted for  the  now  popular  symbolism  of  The 
City  that  Lieth  Four-square,  so  dear  to  them  in 
lecture  and  song. 

After  Mrs.  Eddy  turned  over  her  book  to  others 
to  revise,  it  began  to  improve.  By  the  time  of  her 
death  it  had  been  perfected  just  as  much  as  was 
possible.  The  reader  may  wonder  why  some  of 
her  intelligent  revisers  did  not  reduce  its  contra- 
dictions and  vagueness  to  consistency  and  clarity. 
Mrs.  Eddy  would  not  permit  it.  By  thus  stand- 
ardizing her  output,  and  perfecting  her  model,  she 
made  Science  and  Health  the  "  only  authorized 


WHEBE  NON-SENSE  CEASES  229 

text-book  on  Christian  Science."  From  the  stand- 
point of  business  efficiency  this  was  valuable.  It 
reduced  the  cost  of  production  and  increased 
many  hundred  per  cent,  the  profits. 

Selling  Her  Product.  Science  and  Health  is 
the  heart  in  the  system  of  Christian  Science.  It 
is  the  vital  organ  that  pumps  the  blood  through 
every  artery,  and  makes  its  life  and  growth  pos- 
sible. It  is  the  pastor  of  every  church,  it  is  the 
teacher  of  every  teacher,  it  is  the  healer  of  every 
healer,  it  disseminates  the  only  authorized  and  in- 
fallible revelation  of  the  divine  truth  of  mental 
healing:  and  it  does  all  this  at  a  profit  of  many 
hundred  per  cent.  In  its  interest  every  shaft, 
wheel,  and  cog  in  the  mighty  machinery  of  The 
Mother  Church  revolves.  One  cannot  be  a  Chris- 
tian Scientist  without  its  help.  Not  only  did 
Mrs.  Eddy  require  every  one  to  own  a  volume,  but 
she  also  made  it  necessary  for  every  one  to  become 
automatically  an  unpaid  agent  for  its  sale.  The 
Christian  Science  Journal  for  March  13,  1897, 
contains  this  order: 

It  shall  be  the  duty  of  all  Christian  Scientists  to 
circulate  and  sell  as  many  of  these  books  as  possible. 

While  Mrs.  Eddy  was  living  she  required  every 
follower  to  possess  the  very  latest  revelation  of 
"  Divine  Truth,*'  So  that  as  soon  as  a  new  edi- 
tion made  its  appearance  the  old  had  to  be  imme- 
diately discarded.     By  this  simple  device,  when 


230  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

the  sale  of  an  edition  had  stalled  because  all  of  the 
faithful  were  supplied,  a  new  edition  with  a  few 
incidental  changes  incorporated  in  it  could  be  is- 
sued, and  business  revived.  And  Science  and 
Health  was  very  frequently  revised  in  Mrs. 
Eddy's  time. 

By  making  her  converts  first  customers,  then 
agents,  and  Science  and  Health  the  indispensable 
possession  of  every  Christian  Scientist,  she  built 
up,  not  only  a  great  demand  for  her  product,  but 
also  the  most  wonderful  advertising  and  selling 
system  known.  And  every  penny  of  profit  from 
handling  this  book  went  to  the  organization.  And 
when  Mrs.  Eddy  was  alive,  she  was  the  organiza- 
tion. 

Holding  Her  Business.  When  one's  customers 
are  converts,  holding  business  is  reduced  to  the 
problem  of  holding  old  converts,  and  gaining  new. 
Mrs.  Eddy  took  more  pains  to  hedge  in  her  con- 
verts than  any  known  religious  sect.  First  she 
herded  them  off  in  a  church  by  themselves,  and 
compelled  them  to  listen  to  no  voice  but  her  own, 
as  Science  and  Health  alone  was  allowed  to  preach 
to  them.  Next  she  forbids  them  to  join  any  or- 
ganizations that  "might  impede  their  progress  in 
Christian  Science."  It  soon  develops  that  all  re- 
ligious and  humanitarian  organizations  come  un- 
der this  ban.     For  the  truth  is: 

God  requires  our  whole  heart,  and  He  supplies 
within  the  wide  channels  of  The  Mother  Church  duti- 


WHEEB  NON-SENSE  CEASES  231 

ful  and   sufficient  occupation  for  all   its  members 
[Manual,  p.  44f.]. 

She  frankly  informs  her  followers  that  her 
"  Church  organizations  "  are  "  ample  "  for  their 
outside  interests.  Then  she  follows  this  by-law 
by  another  in  which  she  forbids  them  to  join  any 
other  societies  than  those  specified  in  The  Mother 
Church  Manual.  They  shall  **  strive  to  promote 
the  welfare  of  all  mankind"  through  Christian 
Science  organizations.  The  only  exception  to 
this  prohibition  is  the  Masonic  Order.  Christian 
Scientists  may  join  the  Masons.  Mrs.  Eddy 
seems  to  have  cherished  a  warm  spot  in  her  heart 
for  the  Masons  because  they  befriended  her  when 
she  was  stranded  in  the  South  after  the  death  of 
her  first  husband,  Mr.  Glover.  But  we  suspect 
that  even  the  Masonic  Order  would  not  have  es- 
caped her  interdict  were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  it 
is  a  man's  organization. 

Mrs.  Eddy  had  experienced  considerable  trou- 
ble through  recalcitrant  members  who  resented 
her  curbing  of  their  natural  liberties.  So  she 
plans  that  there  shall  be  no  rebels  in  her  ranks. 
Loyalty  to  her  in  thought  and  deed  she  makes  the 
supreme  virtue,  and  disloyalty  the  unforgivable 
sin.  The  reference  to  the  "  interests  of  another  ** 
is  thrown  in  to  soften  the  shock  of  the  real  pur- 
pose of  the  following  by-law: 

If  a  member  of  this  Church  shall,  mentally  or 


232  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

otherwise,  persist  in  working  against  the  interests  of 
another  member,  or  the  interests  of  our  Pastor 
Emeritus  and  the  accomphshment  of  what  she  under- 
stands is  advantageous  to  this  Church  and  to  the 
Cause  of  Christian  Science,  or  shall  influence  others 
thus  to  act,  upon  her  complaint  or  the  complaint  of 
a  member  for  her  or  for  himself,  it  shall  be  the  duty 
of  the  Board  of  Directors  immediately  to  call  a 
meeting,  and  drop  forever  the  name  of  the  member 
guilty  of  this  offense  from  the  roll  of  Church  mem- 
bership [p.  52f.]. 

'*  Drop  forever  the  name  of  the  member  guilty  " 
is  the  doom  of  a  lost  soul.  The  unforgivable  sin 
which  seals  this  doom  is  to  work  against  Mrs. 
Eddy  in  "  thought  or  deed.'* 

Having  hedged  in  her  members  from  all  contact 
with  other  religious  and  humanitarian  organiza- 
tions and  made  sure  of  their  loyalty  to  her  in 
"thought  and  deed,"  she  turns  her  attention  to 
another  avenue  of  possible  danger — their  reading. 
Historic  denominations  have  grown  very  lax  upon 
the  literature  their  adherents  read.  Mrs.  Eddy 
realized  that  this  was  one  of  the  mightiest  influ- 
ences in  their  lives.  And  she  hedges  about  their 
reading  at  the  danger  points.  They  are  not  al- 
lowed to  read  the  Bible  without  the  '*  Key  to  the 
Scriptures  '*  at  hand  to  give  to  each  passage  its 
"  true  spiritual  meaning."  And  all  works  on  men- 
tal healing,  but  her  own,  are  forbidden.  At  this 
point  Mrs.  Eddy  goes  a  little  farther.  She  for- 
bids her  followers  to  patronize  bookstores  where 


WHERE  NON-SENSE  CEASES  233 

literature  against  Christian  Science  is  sold.     Her 
boycott  by-law  is  thus  worded: 

A  member  of  this  Church  shall  not  patronize  a 
publishing  house  or  bookstore  that  has  for  sale 
obnoxious  books  [p.  44]. 

Those  who  live  in  the  vineyard  Mrs.  Eddy  has 
planted  and  watered  are  securely  hedged  in  by  the 
by-laws  of  The  Mother  Church  Manual.  Such 
aloofness  would  once  have  been  pronounced  the 
height  of  bigotry.  Yet  Christian  Science  has  a 
reputation  for  being  broad-minded  and  liberal. 

Mrs.  Eddy  was  too  bright  to  stop  with  mere 
prohibitions.  Idle  brains  are  sure  to  get  into  mis- 
chief. So  she  provides  her  followers  with  an 
abundance  of  good  literature.  Science  and  Health 
must  be  daily  read.  This  takes  up  some  time,  and 
gives  a  Christian  Science  thought  a  day  to  ponder. 
Then  she  provides  an  authorized  Life  of  herself, 
so  that  she  knows  what  they  are  reading  about  her 
past.  She  also  provides  a  hymnal  so  that  she 
knows  what  they  sing.  Then  she  provides  The 
Mother  Church  Manual  so  that  they  will  have 
proper  Rules  and  By-Laws.  In  addition  to  these 
standard  volumes,  she  provides  a  daily  paper,  a 
weekly  paper,  a  monthly  magazine,  and  a  quar- 
terly review.  And  from  time  to  time  she  put  out 
other  literature,  such  as  Miscellanies. 

In  no  place  does  her  good  business  sense  shine 
more  brilliantly  than  in  her  appreciation  of  the 


234  THE  NON-SENBE  OF  CHEISTI  AN  SCIENCE 

value  of  the  press.  She  realized  the  strategic  po- 
sition which  it  occupies.  It  reaches  those  who  go 
to  church  and  those  who  stay  at  home,  those  who 
believe  and  those  who  do  not  believe.  It  has  a 
constituency  that  no  local  church  can  cover.  So 
Mrs.  Eddy  reversed  the  common  practice.  She 
made  this  agency  of  her  church  the  most  impor- 
tant. Her  ablest  men  and  her  highest  salaries 
she  turned  to  this  department.  And  then  she  fur- 
nished them  with  sufficient  money  to  put  out  high- 
grade  periodicals.  This  wisdom  contrasts  strik- 
ingly with  the  foolish  neglect  of  most  religious 
denominations.  They  generally  allow  their  de- 
nominational publications  to  struggle  along  inde- 
pendently, or  on  the  verge  of  bankruptcy,  handi- 
capped at  every  turn  by  lack  of  funds.  Editors 
and  managers  for  the  most  part  are  devoted  men 
who  stick  to  their  work  at  great  personal  cost,  ren- 
dering a  disproportionate  sacrificial  service  for 
the  sake  of  the  cause.  Mrs.  Eddy  was  too  keen  a 
business  woman  to  blunder  at  this  strategic  point. 
Upon  her  press  she  lavished  the  best  she  had. 

Getting  Her  Propaganda  to  the  People.  Real- 
izing that  people  are  going  to  read  something,  and 
being  determined  that  they  should  not  read  dan- 
gerous literature,  and  having  spent  much  money  to 
put  out  properly  censored  literature,  she  saw  to  it 
that  it  reached  the  people.  Not  only  is  every 
member  required  to  own  Science  and  Health  and 
her  Authorized  Life  by  Sibyl  Wilbur,  but  they 


WHEEE  NON-SENSE  CEASES  235 

must  also  take  the  periodicals.     A  divinely  in- 
spired by-law  lays  upon  each  this  obligation : 

It  shall  be  the  privilege  and  duty  of  every  member, 
who  can  afford  it,  to  subscribe  for  the  periodicals 
which  are  the  organs  of  this  Church  [p.  44]. 

This  by-law  is  not  like  the  formal  resolution  of 
approval  passed  by  the  conventional  ecclesiastical 
body,  which  dies  as  soon  as  it  is  born.  It  incul- 
cates a  duty  and  exacts  obedience.  Until  the  rup- 
ture between  the  Board  of  Directors  and  the 
Trustees  of  the  Publication  Society  developed, 
one  could  not  enter  a  Christian  Science  home 
without  finding  one  or  more  of  these  publications. 
And  they  were  read.  By  thus  keeping  in  daily 
and  weekly  contact  with  every  Christian  Science 
home.  The  Mother  Church  maintained  a  strong, 
vital  hold  upon  all  the  followers  of  this  cult. 
The  religious  denomination  that  has  no  official 
periodicals,  or  whose  periodicals  do  not  find  their 
way  each  week  into  every  home,  has  short-cir- 
cuited its  high-powered  line  of  communication, 
and  lost  one  of  the  mightiest  agencies  of  the  de- 
nomination.    Nothing  can  take  its  place. 

Having  taken  such  superb  care  of  her  own,  she 
now  turns  her  attention  to  the  outsider.  In  each 
church  there  is  a  literature  committee,  whose  duty 
it  is  to  see  that  the  authorized  books  on  Christian 
Science  are  placed  upon  the  shelves  of  every  pub- 
lic library.     If  there  is  a  reading-room,  the  Chris- 


236  THE  NON-SENSE  OF-CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

tian  Science  periodicals  are  also  provided  for  its 
files.  Every  Christian  Science  church  is  required 
to  provide  a  reading-room  where  the  public  can 
come  and  rest,  and  read  Christian  Science  litera- 
ture. Mrs.  Eddy  did  not  waste  any  money  on 
nondescript  activities  and  literature  that  have  no 
direct  bearing  upon  Christian  Science. 

Having  exhausted  all  the  established  channels 
of  publicity,  this  indefatigable  committee  goes  out 
into  the  byways  and  searches  for  stray  public 
places  where  its  literature  may  be  placed.  Public 
waiting-rooms,  railway  stations,  where  there  are 
no  news  stands,  and  where  the  weary  traveller 
welcomes  something  to  read,  here  this  literature  is 
thoughtfully  placed.  County  fairs,  and  general 
public  gatherings  where  people  are  found  in  num- 
bers are  not  forgotten.  It  is  amazing  how  faith- 
fully these  channels  of  publicity  are  watched  and 
used. 

Keeping  the  Enemy  in  His  Trenches.  Having 
done  everything  possible  along  a  constructive  line 
for  her  converts  and  the  disinterested  community, 
she  next  turns  her  attention  to  her  antagonists. 
They  need  watching.  Mrs.  Eddy  was  militant 
enough  to  realize  that  the  best  defense  is  an  of- 
fensive move.  So  in  every  corner  of  her  vineyard 
she  stationed  guards  whose  duty  it  is  to  keep  a 
watchful  eye  upon  the  enemy,  and  at  the  first  sign 
of  a  suspicious  move  start  a  counter-attack. 
These  guards  are  organized  under  the  name  of 


WHERE  NON-SENSE  CEASES  237 

the  Christian  Science  Committee  of  Publication. 
The  name,  like  most  others  in  the  cult,  is  some- 
what misleading.  For  this  committee  devotes  its 
attention  exclusively  to  literature  that  is  published 
against  Christian  Science.  The  head  committee  is 
located  at  Boston,  and  various  state  committees 
take  care  of  the  outposts.  These  committees  are 
composed  of  able  men,  well  paid,  and  expert  in 
tactful,  diplomatic  dealing.  Their  prescribed 
course  of  procedure  is  as  follows:  As  soon  as  an 
article  or  book  appears  which  merits  attention,  the 
committee  under  whose  jurisdiction  it  comes 
sends  some  one  in  person  to  talk  the  matter  over 
with  the  writer  or  publisher.  This  representative, 
in  a  very  kindly  and  tactful  way,  makes  a  protest 
against  the  unfairness  or  incorrectness  of  the  ar- 
ticle or  book,  and  upon  this  ground  endeavours  to 
have  it  suppressed.  If  it  is  an  article,  the  privi- 
lege of  replying  to  it  through  the  columns  of  the 
same  periodical  is  requested.  Failing  in  this, 
some  other  means  must  be  devised  to  counteract 
its  effect.  It  is  surprising  how  effective  such  a 
committee  can  be  made.  The  very  knowledge  of 
its  existence  has  a  deterring  effect.  Some  writers 
and  publishers  will  not  venture  to  put  out  any- 
thing against  Christian  Science  because  they  know 
the  activity  and  power  of  this  committee,  and  the 
boycott  by-law  which  it  can  wield  against  them. 
For  there  are  many  wealthy  Christian  Scientists 
whose  patronage  publishers  do  not  wish  to  lose. 


238  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

Those  living  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York  City 
have  just  been  impressed  with  the  effective  way  in 
which  this  Committee  of  Publication  works.  The 
New  York  Times  for  April  19,  1921,  contained 
this  interesting  news  item: 

Because  Albert  F.  Gilmore,  in  charge  of  the  Chris- 
tian Science  Committee  on  Publication  for  the  State 
of  New  York,  objected  to  an  article,  "  Science  and 
Health,"  in  the  fourth  and  last  volume  of  "The 
Cambridge  History  of  American  Literature,"  G.  P. 
Putnam's  Sons  have  stopped  the  sale  of  the  volume, 
discontinued  the  publication  of  any  more  copies,  and 
will  recall  all  the  volumes  so  far  on  the  market.  *  *  * 

The  offending  chapter  is  No.  XXVHI,  entitled 
*'  Popular  Bibles."  These  are  "  The  Book  of  Mor- 
mon "  and  "  Science  and  Health." 

Mr.  Putnam  said  that  the  article  on  "  The  Book  of 
Mormon  "  would  remain  in  the  book,  as  there  had 
been  no  complaint. 

We  mention  this  incident  simply  to  show  how 
effective  such  a  committee  is.  The  Mormon 
Church  and  all  others  ought  to  note  that  the  com- 
plaint is  the  thing  that  brings  results. 

Sanitation  and  Salvage.  The  sanitation  of  the 
salvage  of  her  past  is  one  of  the  most  effective 
pieces  of  engineering  which  Mrs.  Eddy  ever  did. 
From  her  son  George  Glover,  from  Mr.  Spofford, 
and  from  many  others,  she  tried  by  every  means 
in  her  power  to  get  back  into  her  own  hands  the 
letters  which  she  had  once  written.  She  did  per- 
suade Mr.  Hiram  Crafts  to  journey  to  Pleasant 


WHEEE  NON-SENSE  CEASES  239 

View  to  turn  over  to  her  in  person  the  Quimby 
manuscript  which  she  let  him  copy  in  the  late 
sixties.  If  one  wishes  to  know  the  limits  to 
which  this  sanitation  of  salvage  was  carried  all 
one  has  to  do  is  to  go  to  some  of  those  public 
libraries  where  the  files  of  the  papers  which  con- 
tained damaging  material  are  kept,  and  take  a 
look  at  their  sadly  mutilated  condition.  The  ar- 
ticles that  are  missing  are  those  that  related  to 
Mrs.  Eddy.  We  do  not  know  who  is  responsible 
for  this  work,  but  it  has  been  done  by  some  one. 

This  committee  on  the  sanitation  of  the  salvage 
of  the  past  sees  to  it  that  as  far  as  possible  all 
dangerous  books  are  gotten  out  of  the  reach  of 
the  public.  It  is  very  difficult  to  find  in  any  sec- 
ond-hand bookstore  old  books  of  any  merit 
against  Christian  Science.  Though  the  seeker 
for  information  upon  Mrs.  Eddy  can  always  find 
copies  of  Sibyl  Wilbur's  Life  of  Mrs.  Eddy  avail- 
able. This  is  a  most  effective  piece  of  work,  for 
it  destroys  much  valuable  first-hand  material. 

An  Authorized  Life  of  Mrs.  Eddy.  Having 
been  robbed  of  her  real  past  by  the  efficient  com- 
mittee on  sanitation  and  salvage,  it  became  neces- 
sary to  furnish  Mrs.  Eddy  with  a  past  befitting 
her  divinity  and  greatness.  The  little  autobiog- 
raphy. Retrospection  and  Introspection,  which  she 
wrote  for  this  purpose  in  1891,  was  such  a  crude 
and  childish  affair,  and  so  full  of  obvious  mis- 
statements,  that  it   did  more   harm  than  good. 


240  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHKISTIAN  SCIENCE 

Such  a  difficult  and  delicate  task  awaited  the 
genius  of  some  gifted  writer.  Sibyl  Wilbur  has 
proven  herself  to  be  this  person.  And  her  Life 
of  Mrs.  Eddy  is  the  authorized  source  for  infor- 
mation upon  this  subject.  With  characteristic 
camouflage,  Mrs.  Eddy  writes  a  note  in  The  Chris- 
tian Science  Sentinel  of  March  12,  1910,  re- 
printed upon  the  front  page  of  the  book,  which 
endeavours  to  create  the  impression  that  this  story 
of  her  life  was  written  and  published  by  disinter- 
ested parties.  But  it  is  impossible  to  read  this 
version  of  her  early  life,  and  its  explanation  of 
those  many  incidents  which  cannot  be  ignored, 
without  suspecting  that  Mrs.  Eddy's  sagacity  is 
responsible  for  the  whole  book.  This  work  com- 
pletes the  trio  of  important  Christian  Science  of- 
ficial books.  It  deserves  study  as  well  as  Science 
and  Health  and  The  Mother  Church  Manual. 
And  it  rewards  study  in  exactly  the  same  surpris- 
ing way.  We  regret  that  space  does  not  permit  a 
little  time  spent  upon  it.  This,  however,  must  be 
said:  Its  author  is  no  ordinary,  matter-of-fact, 
mechanical,  historical  photographer  of  the  actual 
events  of  Mrs.  Eddy's  life.  She  is  a  creative  art- 
ist of  no  mean  ability.  Every  incident  and  event, 
after  it  leaves  her  magic  touch,  takes  on  a  new  as- 
pect. Those  familiar  with  the  originals  of  these 
events  hardly  recognize  them  after  this  artist  has 
touched  them  up.  The  Mrs.  Eddy  pictured  in 
this  book  is  as  different  from  the  historical  Mrs. 


WHEEE  NON-SENSE  CEASES  241 

Eddy  as  the  real  Mrs.  Eddy  is  from  the  idealized 
Mrs.  Eddy  whom  Christian  Scientists  worship. 
The  publication  of  tliis  made-to-order  life  of  Mrs. 
Eddy  with  the  requirement  that  it  alone  shall  be 
the  authoritative  source  from  which  all  Christian 
Scientists  shall  derive  their  knowledge  of  her,  and 
its  ubiquitous  presence  in  every  public  library  and 
second-hand  bookstore  are  gradually  building  up 
in  the  public  mind  an  entirely  new  and  unhistor- 
ical  Mrs.  Eddy.  And  there  is  no  work  now  avail- 
able, The  Life  of  Mrs.  Eddy  by  Georgine  Milmine 
having  been  allowed  to  go  out  of  print,  to  give  the 
historical  facts  to  those  who  desire  to  know  the 
truth. 

The  Present-Day  Organisation.  Inasmuch  as 
Mrs.  Eddy's  God-ordained  mission  included  both 
the  proclaiming  of  "  His  Gospel  to  this  age,"  and 
also  the  planting  and  watering  of  "  His  vineyard," 
it  naturally  follows  that  no  human  being  must 
ever  presume  to  tamper  with  either.  While  she 
was  living,  removal  from  office  and  excommuni- 
cation from  The  Mother  Church  were  the  instru- 
ments of  force  by  which  she  endeavoured  to  pre- 
vent any  such  sacrilegious  acts,  but  she  did  not 
rely  upon  these  alone.  In  the  original  Deed  of 
Trust  by  which  she  generously  conveys  to  the 
Board  of  Directors  of  The  Mother  Church  the 
property  for  which  the  members  of  her  disbanded 
church  paid,  she  thoughtfully  incorporates  these 
items: 


242  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

In  addition  to  the  trusts  contained  in  said  deed  of 
September  i,  1892,  from  Mary  Baker  G.  Eddy,  this 
property  is  conveyed  on  the  further  trusts  that  no 
new  Tenet  or  By-Law  shall  be  adopted,  nor  any 
Tenet  or  By-Law  amended  or  annulled  by  the 
grantees  unless  the  written  consent  of  said  Mary 
Baker  G.  Eddy,  the  author  of  the  text-book  "  Science 
and  Health  with  Key  to  the  Scriptures,"  be  given 
therefor,  or  unless  at  the  written  request  of  Mrs. 
Eddy  the  Executive  Members  of  The  First  Church 
of  Christ,  Scientist  (foi-merly  called  the  "First 
Members"),  by  a  two-thirds  vote  of  all  their  num- 
ber, decide  so  to  do  [Manual,  p.  137]. 

By  taking  this  precaution  to  protect  her  revela- 
tions and  by-laws  through  the  medium  of  the  orig- 
inal Deed  of  Trust  to  the  property,  she  made  for- 
feiture of  all  rights  in  this  property  to  follow  any 
presumptuous  tampering  with  her  work.  This 
provision  left  everything  in  her  hands  while  she 
lived,  and  when  she  died  made  all  change  forever 
impossible.  If  Mrs.  Eddy  was  God's  divinely 
chosen  representative  upon  this  earth,  this  require- 
ment is  natural  and  necessary.  And  it  was  the 
only  way  she  could  hope  to  realize  the  fulfillment 
of  her  prophetic  vision  of  the  day  when  her 
church  "will  eventually  rule  all  nations,  and  peo- 
ples— imperatively,  absolutely,  finally,  with  divine 
Science.'*  There  is  a  finality  about  this  decree, 
which,  while  it  is  absolutely  essential  to  the  life  of 
the  cult,  at  the  same  time  spells  out  its  death  war- 
rant. 


WHEEE  NON-SENSE  CEASES  243 

On  December  3,  1910,  Mrs.  Eddy's  earthly  life 
came  to  an  end,  and  her  earthly  Lordship  ceased. 
Her  followers  tell  us  that  her  ''spiritual  pres- 
ence "  is  still  with  them,  and  is  just  as  real  and 
controlling  as  was  her  former  bodily  presence. 
But  the  facts  do  not  seem  satisfactorily  to  sustain 
this  claim.  Discord  and  rivalry  such  as  never 
manifested  themselves,  while  she  was  in  her  tower 
as  Pastor  Emeritus,  now  disturb  the  realm  of  har- 
mony. The  differences  between  the  Board  of  Di- 
rectors and  the  Trustees  of  the  Publication  Soci- 
ety have  become  so  acute  that  they  have  been 
brought  out  of  the  secret  chamber  of  the  cult  and 
aired  in  the  courts.  These  differences  have  sent 
a  split  down  through  every  branch  church  and  into 
every  Christian  Science  home. 

To  increase  this  disordered  condition  of  affairs, 
Mrs.  Augusta  E.  Stetson,  the  excommunicated 
founder  of  the  Ninety-sixth  Street  Church,  New 
York  City,  after  eleven  years  of  patient  biding  her 
time,  has  seized  upon  this  turbulent  period  as  the 
psychological  moment  to  come  back.  For  she  has 
recently  been  spending  considerable  money  in  issu- 
ing full-paged  statements  of  propaganda  to  prove 
that  the  whole  material  organization  of  the  pres- 
ent Christian  Science  Church  has  fallen  so  far 
away  from  the  teaching  and  spirit  of  Mrs.  Eddy 
that  it  has  forfeited  its  right  to  be  entrusted  with 
her  "  Truth.'*  Her  indictment  of  this  organiza- 
tion runs  as  follows: 


244  THE  NON-SEKSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

Gradually  it  became  apparent  that  materiality  and 
reversal  of  divine  metaphysics  were  creeping  into  the 
ranks  of  Christian  Science.  Love  of  ease,  in  per- 
sonal sense,  pride  of  place  and  power,  and  an  un- 
willingness to  handle  the  claims  of  malicious  animal 
magnetism,  manifested,  in  self-love,  self-will,  self- 
justification,  the  lust  of  the  fleshly  mind,  and  the 
pride  of  material  existence,  with  their  earthward 
gravitation,  were  evident,  and  Christian  Science  Mind- 
healing,  with  many,  dropped  to  the  level  of  so-called 
mental  healing  on  a  human  will  basis  [New  York 
Tribune,  December  19,  1920]. 

This  is  a  scathing  arraignment  of  the  Christian 
Science  Church.  For  this  reason  Mrs.  Stetson 
calls  upon  all  of  those  who  sincerely  believe  in 
Mrs.  Eddy's  divinity  and  teaching  to  come  out 
from  among  these  betrayers  of  her  cause  and  join 
the  purely  spiritual  church  which  she  is  striving 
to  establish  to  save  Christian  Science.  Mrs.  Stet- 
son has  a  strong  following,  and  this  bomb  thrown 
into  the  midst  of  the  already  demoralized  forces 
of  the  cult  has  created  pandemonium  within  the 
realm  of  harmony.  It  is  sadly  evident  that  the 
serpent,  personal  sense,  has  at  last  wriggled  itself 
into  this  new  Eden ;  and  we  know  what  to  expect. 

But  we  have  no  direct  interest  in  the  internal 
troubles  of  the  Christian  Science  cult.  We  do 
not  care  to  pass  any  criticism  upon  the  present-day 
organization,  its  churches,  healers,  members,  their 
fancies  or  follies.  Just  so  long  as  Christian  Scien- 
tists sincerely  believe  In  the  divinity  of  Mrs.  Eddy 


WHERE  NON-SENSE  CEASES  245 

and  her  teaching,  their  sincerity,  devotion,  and 
loyalty  are  entitled  to  respect.  This  should  not, 
however,  obscure  the  fact  that  they  are  unques- 
tionably the  innocent  victims  of  a  colossal  impos- 
ture carrying  with  it  its  concomitant  array  of  fal- 
lacious and  dangerous  teaching. 

There  are  two  vulnerable  spots  in  Christian 
Science;  they  are:  Mrs.  Eddy,  and  the  truth  of 
her  non-sense  science.  When  the  public  is  in  pos- 
session of  the  truth  concerning  both  of  these,  its 
doom  will  be  sealed.  But  this  knowledge  cannot 
be  generally  disseminated  until  those  who  teach  in 
theological  seminaries,  college  class-rooms.  Chris- 
tian pulpits,  Sunday  School  groups,  and  Christian 
homes,  take  the  trouble  to  inform  themselves  in- 
telligently upon  this  subject.  Unfair,  inaccurate 
criticism  and  ridicule  can  never  do  the  work  of 
sincere,  conscientious,  intelligent  mastery  of  this 
subject. 

This  hasty  sketch  of  the  way  Mrs.  Eddy  planted 
and  watered  her  vineyard  lets  us  into  the  secret 
of  her  success.     One  feature  remains  to  be  added. 


VII 
THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  ITS  APPEAL 

ALL  of  Mrs.  Eddy's  divinity,  revelations, 
non-sense  science,  and  peerless  organiza- 
tion would  have  come  to  nought  had  there 
not  been  in  the  world  a  certain  class  of  people  to 
whom  this  sort  of  thing  makes  a  fascinating  ap- 
peal. This  introduces  the  last  important  factor 
which  has  contributed  to  the  success  of  Christian 
Science.  In  the  midst  of  the  bewildering  diversity 
of  types  found  among  its  adherents,  there  are  cer- 
tain clearly  marked  characteristics  which  they  pos- 
sess in  common,  and  which  make  it  possible  for 
them  to  become  Christian  Scientists.  We  will 
mention  a  few  of  the  most  important.  The  writer 
has  often  been  asked:  "  Will  you  explain  how  in- 
telligent people  can  believe  in  Christian  Science?  " 
The  word  "  intelligent  "  throws  us  off  the  track. 
General  intelligence  does  not  supply  any  one  with 
a  personal  knowledge  of  Mrs.  Eddy.  The  aver- 
age person  knows  nothing  whatever  about  her. 
This  is  equally  true  concerning  the  specific  sub- 
jects which  underlie  this  cult.  None  of  them  fall 
within  the  range  of  general  intelligence.  They 
are  all  specialties  which  require  lifelong  study  to 
master.      Only    trained    metaphysicians,    Biblical 

246 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  ITS  APPEAL     247 

scholars,  systematic  theologians,  anatomists,  phy- 
siologists, chemists,  and  psychologists  are  suffi- 
ciently informed  upon  these  subjects  to  pass  intel- 
ligent judgment  upon  the  correctness  of  Mrs. 
Eddy's  fundamental  principles.  Christian  Scien- 
tists do  not  profess  to  be  learned  in  these  branches 
of  modem  knowledge.  Does  not  Mrs.  Eddy  say: 
"  No  intellectual  proficiency  is  requisite  in  the 
learner"  (p.  x)  ?  And  is  she  not  very  particular 
to  point  out  that  "  this  understanding  is  not  intel- 
lectual, is  not  the  result  of  scholarly  attainments  " 
(p.  605).  Why,  then,  should  one  regard  the 
general  intelligence  of  a  Christian  Scientist  as  any 
safeguard  against  being  deceived  along  these 
lines?  Knowledge  and  reason  are  the  only  pos- 
sible safeguards  which  any  human  being  possesses 
in  this  realm,  and,  as  we  have  seen,  both  of  these 
Mrs.  Eddy  takes  away  from  every  applicant  be- 
fore she  grants  admission  to  her  non-sense  world. 
"  Relinquish  all  theories  based  upon  sense  percep- 
tion," is  the  first  demand.  Intelligence  is  barred 
out.  But  Mrs.  Eddy's  concern  at  this  point  is 
superfluous,  for  there  is  not  the  slightest  danger 
of  any  one  who  is  informed  upon  the  subjects  in 
question  ever  becoming  a  Christian  Scientist.  It 
is  an  intellectual  impossibility.  Occasionally  some 
such  persons  do  enter  the  employ  of  the  cult,  and 
prostitute  their  knowledge  for  money,  but  they 
never  become  sincere  converts,  and  do  not  remain 
in  it  long. 


248  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

The  typical  Christian  Scientist  then  is  one  who 
possesses  the  same  general  background  of  igno- 
rance which  Mrs.  Eddy  herself  possessed.  This 
prerequisite  of  ignorance  is  present  in  abundance, 
and  Christian  Scientists  are  not  at  all  peculiar  in 
its  possession.  The  feature  which  distinguishes 
them  from  the  great  mass  of  other  people,  equally 
ignorant,  is  that  they  are  willing  to  accept  Mrs. 
Eddy  as  their  authority  upon  these  subjects  even 
though  her  teaching  runs  directly  counter  to  the 
universally  assured  findings  of  all  the  experts  in 
these  various  departments  of  learning.  They  do 
this  simply  because  she  claims  to  have  received  her 
revolutionary  ideas  as  a  divine  revelation  direct 
from  God.  Now  it  is  simply  an  intellectual  im- 
possibility for  the  great  majority  of  people  to  ac- 
cept as  their  authority  a  woman  imquestionably 
ignorant  in  all  the  branches  of  learning  in  which 
she  poses  as  an  expert,  especially  when  her  con- 
clusions are  diametrically  opposed  to  those  of  all 
recognized  authorities.  This  becomes  increas- 
ingly so,  when  upon  honest  and  thorough  investi- 
gation her  claims  to  divine  revelations  are  found 
to  be  fraudulent. 

The  psychologist  discovers  something  distinctly 
abnormal  in  the  mental  make-up  of  the  person 
who  can  believe  this  sort  of  thing.  We  do  not 
like  to  use  the  word  abnormal  in  this  connection, 
but  we  are  sure  the  reader  will  understand  that  its 
use  is  technical.     There  is  no  question  about  the 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  ITS  APPEAL     249 

matter;  this  is  not  the  natural  reaction  of  the  per- 
fectly functioning  normal  mind  in  the  presence  of 
such  non-sense  ideas  and  such  claims.  This  dis- 
covery throws  a  new  light  upon  the  possibility  of 
the  spread  of  Christian  Science.  By  its  very  na- 
ture it  is  restricted  to  that  small  group  in  society 
who  are  capable  of  reacting  to  its  teaching  in  this 
abnormal  way.  A  clear  realization  of  this  impor- 
tant fact  will  do  much  to  overcome  any  panicky 
fear  of  its  universal  triumph.  Had  Mark  Twain 
been  a  little  more  of  a  psychologist  he  would  not 
have  fallen  into  such  a  serious  mistake  when  he 
tried  to  state  the  nature  of  its  appeal.  In  answer- 
ing the  question,  "  Who  are  attracted  by  Christian 
Science?  "  he  replies: 

There  is  no  limit;  its  field  is  horizonless;  its  ap- 
peal is  as  universal  as  is  the  appeal  of  Christianity 
itself.  It  appeals  to  the  rich,  the  poor,  the  high,  the 
low,  the  cultured,  the  ignorant,  the  gifted,  the  stupid, 
the  modest,  the  vain,  the  wise,  the  silly,  the  soldier, 
the  civilian,  the  hero,  the  coward,  the  idler,  the 
worker,  the  godly,  the  godless,  the  freeman,  the 
slave,  the  adult,  the  child ;  they  who  are  ailing  in  body 
or  mind,  they  who  have  friends  that  are  ailing  in  body 
or  mind.  To  mass  it  in  a  phrase,  its  clientage  is  the 
Human  Race  [p.  52f.]. 

To  the  superficial  observer  this  seems  to  be 
about  the  truth.  But  nothing  could  be  farther 
from  it.  The  appeal  of  Christian  Science  is  not 
anything  like  as  wide-spread  as  he  represents.  It 
is  not  as  universal  as  Christianity,  its  clientage  is 


250  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

not  the  Human  Race.  Not  even  all  of  tliose  who 
are  ailing  in  body  or  mind,  or  all  of  the  desperate 
friends  of  such,  are  attracted  to  it.  Only  a  very 
small  number  of  such  give  it  a  serious  thought. 
There  is  no  possible  way  that  it  can  ever  overcome 
the  fatal  handicap  with  which  its  non-sense 
science  fetters  it.  Every  one  of  its  fundamental 
principles  is  abnormally  twisted  or  exaggerated 
out  of  all  semblance  to  reality.  Though  each  con- 
tains just  enough  of  the  truth  to  make  a  specious 
appeal  to  a  certain  type  of  mind.  Its  denial  of 
the  existence  of  the  material  universe,  its  alle- 
gorical interpretation  of  the  Bible,  its  dethroning 
of  the  human  mind,  its  charge  that  medical  knowl- 
edge is  the  prolific  cause  of  disease,  its  claim  that 
a  false  belief  is  the  cause  of  all  sickness,  and  the 
right  belief  is  its  cure;  these  are  all  gross  mis- 
statements which  the  normal  human  mind  is  not 
disposed  to  accept.  There  exists  a  natural  affin- 
ity between  the  reasonable  and  the  true  which  the 
normal  mind  recognizes.  This  priceless  stabilizer 
helps  to  maintain  the  intellectual  equilibrium  of 
humanity,  so  that  the  balance  between  the  reason- 
able and  the  true  can  never  be  completely  upset 
and  the  race  toppled  over  headlong  into  the  irra- 
tional and  untrue.  Lincoln  sensed  this  funda- 
mental psychological  principle  and  gave  expres- 
sion to  it  in  these  familiar  words: 

You  can  fool  all  of  the  people  some  of  the  time, 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  ITS  APPEAL     251 

and  some  of  the  people  all  of  the  time,  but  you  can- 
not fool  all  of  the  people  all  of  the  time. 

Christian  Science  in  its  fundamental  principles 
is  so  abnormal  that  it  does  not  stand  any  chance  of 
fooling  all  of  the  people  even  some  of  the  time. 
It  may  fool  some  of  the  people  some  of  the  time, 
and  some  of  the  people  all  of  the  time.  But  be- 
yond the  narrow  limit  of  "some"  it  will  never 
spread. 

After  Mark  Twain  had  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  its  appeal  was  "  universal,"  "  its  field  hori- 
zonless,"  "its  clientage  the  Human  Race,"  its 
autocratic  government  flawless,  and  its  financial 
resources  exhaustless,  the  situation  looked  utterly 
hopeless.  He  could  not  see  how  its  speedy  and 
certain  conquest  of  the  world  could  be  stopped. 
Here  is  his  prophecy,  made  in  1899: 

It  is  a  reasonably  safe  guess  that  in  America  in 
1920  there  will  be  ten  million  Christian  Scientists, 
and  three  millions  in  Great  Britain ;  that  these  figures 
will  be  trebled  in  1930 ;  that  in  America  in  1920  the 
Christian  Scientists  will  be  a  political  force,  in  1930 
politically  formidable,  and  in  1940  the  governing 
power  in  the  Republic-r-to  remain  that,  permanently 
[p.  72]. 

Those  of  us  who  live  in  the  year  1921  find  his 
predictions  have  fallen  far  short  of  fulfillment. 
Christian  Science  has  not  grown  with  anything 
like  the  rapidity  which  he  anticipated.     In  the 


252  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

year  1920,  not  only  did  it  not  reach  his  mark  of 
ten  million  adherents;  it  did  not  number  one  mil- 
lion. On  January  12,  1911,  twelve  years  after  his 
prophecy  was  made,  and  with  only  nine  years 
more  to  go,  George  W.  Glover,  Mrs.  Eddy's  son, 
filed  a  bill  in  equity  against  Henry  M.  Baker,  the 
executor  of  her  estate.  In  this  legal  document  we 
find  this  statement  of  the  membership  of  The 
Mother  Church  at  that  time: 

The  whole  number  of  members  of  The  Mother 
Church,  widely  distributed,  is  about  50,000,  including 
about  100  executives  and  six  honorary  [p.  6]. 

At  a  time  when  this  membership  was  incor- 
rectly estimated  up  in  the  hundreds  of  thousands, 
it  was  only  fifty  thousand.  It  is  true  that  all 
Christian  Scientists  are  not  members  of  The 
Mother  Church.  But  all  good  Christian  Scien- 
tists aspire  to  that  great  honour  and  distinction, 
and  rarely  rest  until  it  has  been  attained.  As  has 
been  pointed  out,  every  ambitious  member  of  the 
cult  has  to  join  The  Mother  Church  for  advance- 
ment in  Christian  Science.  So  that  it  is  a  most 
reliable  indicator  of  the  relative  growth  and  size 
of  the  cult.  Early  in  its  history  Mrs.  Eddy  dis- 
covered that  the  general  public  were  prone  to  ex- 
aggerate its  numbers.  And  when  statistics  began 
to  lag  so  woefully  behind  the  imagination  of  the 
people,  she  thought  it  would  be  wise  to  suppress 
these  depressing  statistics.     At  any  rate  we  sus- 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  ITS  APPEAL     253 

pect  this  was  the  real  cause  for  the  following  by- 
law: 

Christian  Scientists  shall  not  report  for  publication 
the  number  of  the  members  of  The  Mother  Church, 
nor  that  of  the  branch  churches.  According  to  the 
Scripture  they  shall  turn  away  from  personality  and 
numbering  the  people  [p.  48]. 

From  that  day  to  the  present  time  it  has  been  im- 
possible, except  in  court,  to  obtain  the  correct 
membership  of  this  cult.  But  unless  the  methods 
of  the  organization  have  changed  since  Mrs. 
Eddy's  death,  when  this  membership  gets  where 
it  can  be  advertised  as  an  asset,  some  way  will  be 
found  to  let  the  public  know  its  real  strength. 
But  just  so  long  as  its  actual  membership  lags  so 
far  behind  its  imagined  size,  this  by-law  will  re- 
main in  force. 

A  Reversion  to  the  PreScientific  Way  of 
Thinking.  Another  reason  why  Christian  Science 
need  not  be  seriously  feared  is  because  it  is  going 
backward  while  the  race  is  going  forward.  Psy- 
chologically it  represents  an  abnormal  reaction,  in- 
tellectually it  is  a  clear  reversion  of  the  pre- 
scientific  way  of  thinking.  No  psychologist  can 
mistake  its  allegorical  interpretation  of  the  crea- 
tion story,  Bible  characters,  events,  sayings,  the 
material  universe;  its  capitalization  and  personifi- 
cation of  Mind,  Spirit,  Truth,  Principle.  These 
are  all  the  familiar  phenomena  of  the  pre-scien- 
tific,  phantasy  way  of  thinking  which  gave  us 


264  THE  NON-SENSE  OP  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

mythology.  They  are  the  natural  products  of  the 
childlike  mind,  which  does  not  clearly  distinguish 
between  fact  and  fancy,  dream  experiences  and 
those  of  waking  consciousness,  the  material  and 
the  spiritual.  The  analogy  parallels  at  every 
point. 

There  is  a  direct  relationship  between  the  psy- 
chological and  intellectual  characteristics  of  Chris- 
tian Science.  Those  who  have  not  kept  pace  with 
the  intellectual  progress  of  the  race  find  phantasy 
thinking  a  most  satisfactory  way  of  explaining  the 
intellectual  problems  of  the  universe.  It  is  the 
way  the  race  once  thought.  But  it  leads  directly 
back  to  the  Egyptian  bondage  of  superstition  and 
ignorance  from  which  the  race  has  emerged.  In 
every  progressive  age  where  the  intellectual  up- 
heavals have  been  great,  it  is  inevitable  that  there 
should  be  found  many  such  laggards. 

It  so  happened  that  the  nineteenth  century  wit- 
nessed one  of  the  mightiest  revolutions  within  the 
world  of  thought  that  has  ever  been  experienced. 
Concerning  it  John  Fisk  says: 

This  century,  which  some  have  called  an  age  of 
iron,  has  been  also  an  age  of  ideas,  an  era  of  seeking 
and  finding  the  like  of  which  was  never  known  be- 
fore. It  is  an  epoch,  the  grandeur  of  which  dwarfs 
all  others  that  can  be  named  since  the  beginning  of  the 
historic  period,  if  not  since  Man  first  became  dis- 
tinctively human.  In  their  mental  habits,  in  their 
methods  of  inquiry,  and  in  the  data  at  their  com- 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  ITS  APPEAL     255 

mand,  "  the  men  of  the  present  day  who  have  fully 
kept  pace  with  the  scientific  movement  are  separated 
from  the  men  whose  education  ended  in  1830  by  an 
immeasurably  wider  gulf  than  has  ever  before  di- 
vided one  progressive  generation  of  men  from  their 
predecessors  "  [Idea  of  God,  p.  56f.]. 

Mrs.  Eddy  was  born  in  1821  and  came  to  her 
maturity  just  as  this  intellectual  upheaval  was  at 
its  height.  And  her  home,  New  England,  was  the 
one  place  where  its  effect  was  more  powerfully 
felt  than  anywhere  else  in  America.  So  we  have 
both  the  psychological  place  and  time  for  some 
one  to  volunteer  to  become  a  captain  and  lead 
those  who  were  homesick  for  the  quiet  monotony 
of  Egypt,  and  Its  melons,  leeks,  onions,  and  gar- 
lic, back  to  that  land  of  bondage.  Mrs.  Eddy  saw 
her  chance,  so  she  volunteered  to  become  their 
captain,  and  rallying  the  laggards  around  the 
standard  of  her  non-sense  science  led  them  back  to 
superstition  and  ignorance. 

Her  metaphysics  gives  perfect  expression  to 
this  Intellectual  revolt  against  the  modern  scien- 
tific Interpretation  of  the  universe.  She  pictures 
herself  as  engaged  In  mortal  combat  against  the 
whole  conception.  She  disqualifies  the  human 
mind,  reason,  and  the  physical  senses,  from  bear- 
ing any  testimony  concerning  metaphysical  truth. 
And  in  their  places  she  substitutes  what  she  styles 
"  spiritual  senses."  She  explains  the  acquisition 
of  truth  thus: 


266  THE  NON-SENSE  OP  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

According  to  Christian  Science,  the  only  real 
senses  of  man  are  spiritual,  emanating  from  divine 
Mind.  Thought  passes  from  God  to  man,  but 
neither  sensation  nor  report  goes  from  material  body 
to  Mind.  The  intercommunication  is  always  from 
God  to  His  idea,  man  [p.  284]. 

This  explanation  may  be  satisfactory  to  those 
who  know  nothing  about  the  psychological  process 
involved.  But  the  psychologist  knows  that  even 
an  "  emanation  from  divine  Mind  "  finds  its  way 
into  consciousness  through  the  regularly  estab- 
lished channels  of  human  personality.  God  Him- 
self never  tries  to  communicate  with  man  in  any 
other  way.  There  are  only  two  possible  realms 
through  which  communication  can  be  made. 
They  are  the  realm  of  consciousness,  and  the  sub- 
conscious realm.  In  a  series  of  articles,  published 
in  the  Bible  Magazine,  in  1915,  in  dealing  with 
another  subject,  the  writer  has  shown  at  some 
length  how  both  of  these  realms  are  so  guarded 
by  the  laws  of  mind  and  body  that  no  private 
rights  of  way  for  direct  communication,  inde- 
pendent of  all  material  and  psychological  media, 
are  possible.  But  at  the  present  time  we  do  not 
need  to  go  into  that  study,  for  it  is  easy  enough 
to  show  that  Christian  Scientists  in  the  act  of 
gaining  their  "understanding  of  divine  Truth," 
and  in  the  act  of  healing  or  being  healed  by  it,  do 
not  use  "  spiritual  senses "  or  enjoy  any  direct 
intercommimlcation   of    thought    independent   of 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  ITS  APPEAL     257 

sensation  and  the  material  body  and  the  human 
mind.  Their  faculties  function  just  exactly  the 
same  as  those  of  all  other  mortals  engaged  in  the 
same  practices.  The  psychologist  is  ready  to  an- 
alyze their  processes  any  time  they  are  ready  to 
submit  to  the  test. 

Only  a  certain  type  of  person  turns  traitor  to 
the  intellectual  inheritance  of  his  age.  The  per- 
fectly normal,  healthy,  successful  person  is  a  great 
grumbler  and  faultfinder,  but  never  a  quitter. 
He  is  always  ready  to  go  forward  no  matter  what 
difficulties  and  dangers  confront  him.  For  him 
the  best  is  yet  to  be.  Those  who  turn  back  do  so 
because  they  are  sick,  either  in  mind,  spirit,  or 
body,  and  consequently  do  not  feel  quite  equal  to 
the  hardships  of  the  quest.  Christian  Science 
makes  no  appeal  whatever  to  the  normal,  well- 
rounded,  healthy  person.  It  appeals  only  to  the 
sick,  or  subnormal.  For  sickness  is  only  another 
term  for  a  subnormal  condition.  Now  Christian 
Science  is  calculated  to  appeal  to  any  one  of  the 
three  possible  types  of  subnormals,  the  intellec- 
tual, the  spiritual,  the  physical.  If  it  finds  one 
under  the  weather  in  any  one  of  these  particulars 
it  has  something  handsome  to  offer. 

A  Get-Trufh-HappinesS'Health-Quick  Scheme. 
In  an  organization  as  large  as  Christian  Science, 
naturally  there  are  many  people  who  do  not  con- 
form to  type.  They  have  come  in  for  all  sorts  of 
reasons,  and  by  all  sorts  of  ways.     These  are  the 


258  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

exceptions,  or,  biologically  speaking,  the  freaks  of 
the  species.  They  call  for  individual  study.  At 
present  we  are  dealing  only  with  those  who  run 
true  to  type  and  constitute  the  species.  They 
naturally  divide  themselves  into  the  three  groups 
of  subnormals  to  which  a  Get-Truth-Happiness- 
Health-Quick  Scheme  appeals. 

The  Get-Truth-Quick  Scheme  does  not  appeal 
to  the  perfectly  normal  human  mind  functioning 
naturally  and  reliably  in  the  midst  of  the  intellec- 
tual problems  of  life.  It  responds  to  the  call  of  the 
quest  of  truth  with  eagerness.  It  accepts  the 
long,  slow,  hard,  educational  process  of  acquiring 
knowledge  and  gaining  truth,  as  the  only  reason- 
able way.  The  pursuit  of  truth,  even  though  it 
be  not  overtaken,  is  of  itself  well  worth  while. 
Only  the  mind  that  is  bewildered,  that  has  not  su- 
preme confidence  In  its  own  processes  and  conclu- 
sions, covets  the  acquisition  of  knowledge  and 
truth  by  a  patent  Get-Truth-Ouick  Scheme,  such 
as  Mrs.  Eddy  offers.  Christian  Science  opens  up 
a  private  line  of  communication  by  which  "  Divine 
Truth  "  can  be  easily  obtained  direct  from  God, 
without  the  laborious  necessity  of  acquiring  spe- 
cial knowledge.  This  Is  the  way  Mrs.  Eddy  pro- 
fesses to  have  obtained  the  revelations  of  truth 
contained  in  Science  and  Health.  Of  her  system 
she  says: 

Acquaintance  with  the  Science  of  being  enables 
us  to  commune  more  largely  with  the  divine  Mind,  to 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  ITS  APPEAL     259 

foresee  and  foretell  events  which  concern  the  uni- 
versal welfare,  to  be  divinely  inspired, — ^yea,  to  reach 
the  range  of  fetterless  Mind  [p.  84]. 

Christian  Scientists  get  "  understanding "  by 
direct  contact  with  the  "  divine  Mind."  This  Get- 
Truth-Quick  Scheme  furnishes  a  complete  substi- 
tute for  special  education.  After  twelve  half 
days,  or  seven,  spent  in  the  Massachusetts  Meta- 
physical College,  its  graduates  come  forth,  trained 
metaphysicians,  Biblical  scholars,  theologians, 
physicians.  The  term  of  this  college  to-day  lasts 
"not  over  one  week"  (see  Manual,  p.  90).  If 
that  is  not  a  Get-Truth-Quick  Scheme,  we  do  not 
know  how  to  characterize  it. 

The  Get-Happiness-Quick  Scheme  is  of  the 
same  kind.  The  soul  that  has  been  thoughtlessly 
denied  the  help  of  religious  faith,  religious  activi- 
ties, religious  devotions,  is  always  spiritually  out 
of  health,  or  subnormal.  Its  ill-health  is  not  dis- 
covered generally  until  some  acute  crisis  reveals  its 
condition.  But  every  starved  soul  hungers  for 
some  religious  nurture.  The  neglectful,  the  in- 
different, the  disaffected,  those  who  have  starved 
their  soul  life  by  ultra-rationalist  thinking,  are  the 
ideal  prospects  for  a  Get-Happiness-Quick 
Scheme  such  as  Mrs.  Eddy  offers.  And  from 
these  groups  Christian  Science  draws  most  of  its 
religious  recruits.  They  do  not  come  from  those 
whose  religious  life  in  their  own  churches  is  vital. 
The  prodigal  who  has  journeyed   into  the   far 


260  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

country  and  is  in  want  will  feed  on  husks.  They 
are  better  than  nothing. 

The  peculiar  feature  about  this  Get-Happiness- 
Quick  Scheme  which  appeals  to  the  subnormal 
spirit  is  that  Christian  Science  exacts  no  toll  from 
the  past  life.  It  does  not  rebuke,  condemn,  or  de- 
mand confession.  It  refuses  to  recognize  the  ex- 
istence of  sin,  evil,  or  wrong.  It  does  not  want 
to  punish  or  discipline.  It  features  the  agreeable, 
and  pleasant,  it  knows  of  nothing  but  the  Love 
and  Goodness  of  God.  This  scheme  for  obtain- 
ing happiness  simply  by  closing  the  eyes  upon 
everything  that  produces  unhappiness,  appeals  to 
the  psychologically  subnormal. 

Here  again  the  perfectly  healthy  human  spirit 
is  not  attracted  by  such  an  offer.  It  is  too  un- 
natural. It  expects  to  be  punished  for  breaking 
God's  laws,  and  wrong  doing.  A  God  Who  does 
not  discipline  His  children  cannot  win  its  respect. 
It  palls  in  the  artificial  atmosphere  of  the  unreal 
and  eternal  smile,  and  pines  away  in  a  conflictless 
world. 

The  Get-Health-Quick  Scheme  is  the  real  at- 
tractive offer  of  Christian  Science.  The  two  pre- 
ceding ideas  are  by-products  of  this  original  fea- 
ture. This  offer  naturally  makes  its  strongest 
appeal  to  chronic  invalids.  They  have  tried 
ever)rthing  else  that  seemed  to  hold  out  any  hope 
of  recovery,  but  have  not  been  cured.  Just  as 
they  are  about  to  give  up  in  despair  some  one 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  ITS  APPEAL     261 

comes  along  and  suggests:  "  Why  do  you  not  try 
Christian  Science  ?  "  To  the  bankrupt  in  health, 
this  suggestion  makes  a  most  unexpected  appeal. 
The  person  himself  does  not  know  why,  but  for 
some  reason  the  proposition  interests  him.  This 
brings  us  to  the  heart  of  this  Get-Health-Quick 
Scheme. 

The  Gawhle,  Christian  Science  is  different 
from  orthodox  medical  science;  it  offers  some- 
thing for  nothing,  much  for  little.  If  one  will 
just  take  stock  in  it,  it  will  cure  the  patient  no 
matter  what  ails  him.  It  does  not  require  the  de- 
posit of  any  securities  of  bodily  health  upon  which 
to  build.  It  offers  nothing  less  than  to  stage  a 
miracle  for  the  benefit  of  the  invalid.  Of  course 
the  particular  miracle  Mrs.  Eddy  offers  to  work 
cannot  take  place  in  this  rational  universe,  gov- 
erned by  law.  But  she  does  not  let  a  little  thing 
like  a  universe  stand  in  her  way;  she  simply  ar- 
gues it  out  of  existence,  with  all  its  hampering 
laws,  and  having  thus  cleared  the  field,  is  pre- 
pared to  work  her  miracle  in  her  non-sense  w^orld. 

Though  not  a  particularly  religious  woman,  she 
appreciated  the  fact  that  she  needed  the  assistance 
of  the  great  miracle  worker — God — ^to  establish 
proper  confidence  in  her  proposition.  So  she 
forms  an  exclusive  partnership  with  God  whereby 
she  alone  is  to  "voice  His  Truth  to  this  age." 
Having  now  God,  and  His  omnipresence,  om- 
niscience, and  omnipotence  as  collateral  security, 


262  THE  NONSENSE  OF  CHBISTIAN  SCIENCE 

she  starts  out  to  sell  stock  in  her  Get-Truth-Hap- 
piness-Health-Quick Scheme.  The  physical  bank- 
rupt, who  sees  no  other  way  to  recoup  his  lost 
fortune  in  health,  finds  his  latent  gambling  in- 
stinct stirred  by  the  proposition.  He  has  nothing 
to  lose  anyway,  and  there  is  a  possible  chance  of 
winning  out  in  the  gamble,  so  he  takes  stock  in  it, 
and  becomes  a  Christian  Scientist. 

TPie  Cure,  We  are  now  in  a  position  to  under- 
stand something  of  the  nature  of  Christian 
Science  cures.  The  psychology  is  simple  and  in- 
teresting. The  despondent  bankrupt  is  instantly 
transformed  into  a  hopeful  speculator.  He  is  a 
millionaire  long  before  his  ship  comes  in,  and  for 
a  time,  whether  it  comes  in  or  not.  His  cure  be- 
gins the  instant  he  takes  stock  in  the  proposition. 
For  it  is  expectation,  not  realization  that  performs 
the  miracle.  A  new  adventure  has  been  under- 
taken for  the  chronic  invalid,  the  first  perhaps 
for  a  long  time.  The  jaded  nature  of  the  bank- 
rupt begins  to  thrill  with  the  genuine  emotion  of 
hope.  His  slumbering  energies  are  awakened, 
the  ignition  of  interest  begins  to  spark,  the  engine 
of  personality  to  fire,  the  will  to  recover  throws 
the  machinery  of  self,  which  has  been  idling,  into 
gear,  and  the  psychological  machinery  of  person- 
ality is  set  running  once  again.  The  personality 
of  the  patient  is  reorganized  about  a  new,  live  in- 
terest. In  those  cases  where  Christian  Science 
works  its  miracles  of  healing  this  is  what  takes 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  ITS  APPEAL     263 

place.  The  trouble,  as  in  Mrs.  Eddy's  own  case, 
is  psycho-physical.  There  is  no  real  organic  dis- 
ease, nothing  in  the  physical  system  has  broken 
down  or  is  worn  out.  The  ignition  of  interest 
has  ceased  to  spark,  the  emotional  engine  to  fire, 
and  the  psychological  machinery  is  out  of  gear. 
If  the  emotional  interest  of  expectation  can  be 
stimulated  long  enough,  the  machinery  of  person- 
ality may  get  back  into  normal  running  order,  and 
a  real,  permanent  cure  be  effected. 

The  enlistment  of  the  cooperation  of  the  pa- 
tient's own  self  is  one  of  the  principal  factors  in 
effecting  this  cure.  The  proposition  being  a  gam- 
ble with  a  long  chance  involved,  listless  indiffer- 
ence is  gone,  the  patient  is  interested  in  the  ex- 
periment. Then  Mrs.  Eddy  gives  the  patient 
something  to  do.  Science  and  Health  must  be 
read  every  day.  Private  devotions  resumed, 
church  services,  if  possible,  attended,  a  hopeful 
attitude  of  mind  and  conversation  cultivated.  In 
dealing  with  this  type  of  patient,  the  value  of  re- 
ligious faith,  devotion,  activities,  cannot  be  over- 
estimated. To  these  stimulants  to  the  spirit,  she 
adds  the  practice  of  diverting  the  mind  from  its 
own  troubles  by  setting  it  at  the  task  of  trying  to 
understand  Science  and  Health.  Of  course  it 
cannot  do  this.  And  It  keeps  on  trying.  This  is 
a  most  effective  mental  counter  irritant. 

Even  incurables  are  for  a  time  transformed  Into 
hopefuls.     For  Christian  Science  freely  promises 


264  THE  NOJJf -SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

to  cure  them  as  well  as  others.  While  they  are 
sincerely  expectant,  and  struggling  to  maintain  a 
hopeful  attitude,  a  noticeable  improvement  is  seen 
in  their  condition.  It  is  always  during  this  period 
of  temporary  improvement  that  the  cure  of  the  in- 
curable is  widely  advertised.  When  the  inevitable 
relapse  comes,  and  the  incurable  again  sinks  back 
into  the  old  condition,  or  dies  of  the  disease  of 
which  the  alleged  cure  was  predicated,  no  pub- 
licity is  given  to  this  unfortunate  termination  of 
the  case. 

There  is  another  class  of  patients  to  whom 
these  psychological  factors  bring  real  help.  When 
a  normally  healthy  person  is  stricken  with  an 
acute  attack  of  disease,  nature,  the  great  healer, 
immediately  starts  her  work  of  restoration.  And 
nature  is  no  respecter  of  systems  of  healing,  she 
works  just  as  hard  to  cure  the  sick  treated  by  a 
Christian  Science  healer  as  those  under  the  care  of 
any  other  practitioner.  Now  it  often  happens 
that  the  spirit  of  a  patient  is  greatly  helped,  and 
the  will  to  recover  strengthened,  by  religious  and 
mental  stimulants.  It  is  just  as  much  an  error  to 
neglect  to  use  these  psychological  remedies  as 
natural  ones  when  dealing  with  human  beings. 
Both  are  ordained  by  God  to  render  an  important 
service  in  cooperation  with  nature.  Christian 
Science  makes  a  fatal  blunder  In  refusing  to  avail 
herself  of  the  service  of  the  knowledge  of  anat- 
omy, physiology,  chemistry,  and  the  natural  reme- 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  ITS  APPEAL     265 

dies  and  medicines  supplied  by  nature.  Medical 
science  makes  an  equally  great  blunder  in  not 
availing  itself  more  intelligently  of  the  spiritual 
and  mental  help  at  its  command.  Only  when  na- 
ture has  the  intelligent  and  sympathetic  coopera- 
tion of  the  material,  mental^  and  spiritual  re- 
sources available,  is  she  in  a  position  to  do  her 
best  virork.  Until  these  three  healing  agents  are 
allowed  to  work  together  more  sympathetically, 
religious  and  mental  healing  systems  will  continue 
to  thrive  side  by  side  with  medical  systems. 

Another  constructive  gain  which  must  be  cred- 
ited to  the  same  causes  is  the  spiritual  and  moral 
improvement  to  be  noticed  in  the  lives  of  some 
sincere  Christian  Scientists.  For  there  can  be  no 
denying  that  this  improvement  is  evident.  Its  ex- 
planation is  simple.  The  resumption  of  regular 
religious  habits  accounts  for  this.  The  daily 
reading  of  the  Bible,  even  though  it  be  under  the 
guidance  of  the  "  Key  to  the  Scriptures,"  the 
study  of  Science  and  Health  In  the  sincere  search 
for  light  and  truth,  regular  and  interested  attend- 
ance upon  religious  worship,  the  consistent  effort 
to  be  kindly,  helpful,  hopeful,  these  and  many 
other  unmentloned  little  practices.  Introduce  into 
many  previously  barren  spiritual  natures  whole- 
some moral  benefits,  which  are  quite  Independent 
of  the  non-sense  science  and  theology  which  un- 
derlies Mrs.  Eddy's  teaching.  The  God  who  can 
bring  good  out  of  evil  and  make  even  the  wrath 


266  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHEISTIAN  SCIENCE 

of  man  to  praise  Him,  does  not  allow  Christian 
Science  to  draw  so  heavily  upon  His  name  with- 
out collecting  some  tribute  in  return. 

It  is  sometimes  suggested  that  the  greatest  bene- 
fit derived  from  Christian  Science  is  the  interest 
which  it  has  stimulated  in  psycho-therapy  and  in 
the  value  of  religious  faith  as  a  therapeutic  agent. 
It  is  true  that  both  of  these  features  of  therapy 
have  gained  much  from  the  interest  quickened 
through  the  publicity  of  Christian  Science.  But 
it  must  be  remembered  that  these  results  were  the 
very  ones  which  Mrs.  Eddy  was  striving  to  pre- 
vent. She  tried  her  best  to  discredit  both  the  in- 
fluence of  the  human  mind  and  religious  faith  as 
healing  agents.  So  that  these  benefits  can  be 
credited  to  reactions  against  the  Christian  Science 
system  of  healing. 

Does  tJie  Gamble  Pay?  We  come  now  to  the 
final  balancing  of  accounts.  The  net  gain  to  be 
derived  from  taking  stock  in  this  Get-Truth-Hap- 
piness-Health-Quick Scheme  is  obtained  by  sub- 
tracting the  cost  price  from  what  has  been  gained, 
and  then  finding  out  what  is  left.  For  in  any  bar- 
gain you  first  have  to  deduct  the  cost.  Mrs. 
Eddy  has  set  down  the  price.  One  has  to  pay  for 
everything  obtained  from  her  non-sense  science; 
and  there  are  no  discounts.  We  are  already  fa- 
miliar with  this  cost  item.  The  material  universe 
has  to  be  argued  out  of  existence,  reason  de- 
throned, the  human  mind  discarded  as  "  nothing 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OP  ITS  APPEAL    267 

claiming  to  be  something,"  the  physical  senses 
have  to  be  denied  their  right  to  give  any  testi- 
mony as  to  what  is  true,  God  has  to  be  changed 
from  a  Person  into  a  Principle  with  all  the  loss  of 
theistic  faith  that  this  change  entails,  the  Christ 
of  Christian  Science  ceases  to  be  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
and  become  the  truth  of  mental  healing,  the  Holy 
Spirit,  divine  Science,  the  messages  of  the  Bible 
writers,  even  those  of  Jesus  Himself,  have  to  be 
lost  and  Mrs.  Eddy's  non-sense  ideas  adopted  in 
their  place,  all  human  knowledge  has  to  be 
scrapped  as  useless,  and  medical  science  destroyed 
as  the  prolific  cause  of  disease.  Why  continue 
this  item  further?  The  price  already  demanded 
is  prohibitive  for  any  rational  human  being. 

But  do  we  not  get  enough  out  of  the  transaction 
to  make  the  bargain  worth  while  after  all  ?  Many 
Christian  Scientists  think  they  have.  Here  again 
they  are  deceived.  For  the  truth  is  they  do  not 
get  a  single  one  of  these  benefits  from  the  opera- 
tion of  Mrs.  Eddy's  non-sense  science.  She  has 
given  us  specific  and  authoritative  information 
upon  this  subject.  And  there  are  two  sets  of  psy- 
chological facts  from  which  there  is  no  escape: 
First,  there  are  no  such  "  spiritual  senses  "  as  she 
describes,  and  direct  intercommunication  between 
divine  Mind  and  the  soul  of  man,  independent  of 
the  physical  and  psychological  media  of  human 
personality  does  not  and  cannot  take  place.  Of 
itself  this  is  enough  to  settle  the  case,  but  we  do 


268  THE  NON-SENSE  OF  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE 

not  stop  with  this.  Second,  the  actual  benefits 
generally  credited  to  the  influence  of  Christian 
Science  are  all  the  direct  product  of  the  operation 
of  the  forces  and  agents  which  Mrs.  Eddy  specifi- 
cally repudiates.  If  the  reader  will  observe 
closely  our  description  of  the  psychological  fac- 
tors involved  in  the  reorganization  of  a  person- 
ality, the  strengthening  of  the  spirit  and  will  in 
illness,  and  moral  improvement,  it  will  be  noticed 
that  in  every  instance  these  results  are  obtained 
through  the  natural  functioning  of  the  human 
mind  and  spirit  in  cooperation  with  nature,  under 
the  stimulus  of  old-fashioned  religious  faith  in  a 
personal  God,  prayer  to  a  Heavenly  Father,  Bible 
study,  worship,  the  search  for  light  and  truth,  the 
cooperation  of  the  patient's  self,  and  hope.  This 
is  not  theory;  a  detailed  psychological  analysis  of 
the  functioning  of  the  personality  of  any  Chris- 
tian Science  patient  makes  this  indisputable. 
Now  these  factors  are  the  very  ones  which  Mrs. 
Eddy  frankly  tells  us  are  not  agents  in  her  science. 
They  are,  however,  the  real  agents  which  produce 
the  results  under  consideration.  So  there  you 
have  the  answer. 

Even  the  benefits  which  we  thoughtlessly  credit 
to  Christian  Science  are  in  reality  gained  by 
smuggling  in  the  help  of  the  very  agents  against 
which  she  has  waged  her  war,  and  whose  very 
existence  she  denies.  We  do  not  mean  to  imply 
that  either  Mrs.  Eddy  or  her  followers  are  aware 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  ITS  APPEAL     269 

of  this  interesting  discovery.  They  have  not 
taken  the  trouble  to  analyze  the  process,  or  they 
would  not  have  made  such  a  blunder.  Christian 
Science  could  not  do  business  if  it  v^ere  not  for  the 
presence  of  these  real  agents  for  it  surreptitiously 
to  use  in  its  name.  For  there  is  no  such  thing 
possible,  in  God's  world  governed  by  law,  as  a 
Get-Truth-Happiness-Health-Quick  Scheme  oper- 
ating beyond  the  jurisdiction  of  the  laws  of  na- 
ture, and  the  laws  of  the  mind,  body,  and  spirit. 
This  is  but  the  natural  climax  to  which  such  a 
science  inevitably  leads.  From  a  series  of  fraud- 
ulent revelations  of  truth,  based  upon  a  fallacious 
metaphysics,  and  an  incorrect  conception  of  God, 
man,  and  nature,  nothing  else  could  be  expected. 
From  nothing,  nothing  comes.  In  Science  and 
Health  Mrs.  Eddy  says:  "A  wrong  sense  of  God, 
man  and  creation  is  non-sense''  (p.  489),  If  she 
is  right,  and  we  are  Inclined  to  believe  her  this 
time,  then  Christian  Science  has  won  its  indis- 
putable right  to  the  title  of  a  "  non-sense  Science." 


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